New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has delivered a sharp rebuke of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, better known as AIPAC, during a Thursday evening rally in New York, adding fresh fuel to one of the biggest political battles now shaping the Democratic Party.
Speaking at a rally alongside Senator Bernie Sanders and progressive candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, Mamdani framed the fight as bigger than one election or one city. The message was about who gets to shape American politics: ordinary voters demanding change, or powerful lobbying groups and wealthy donors pushing candidates to fall in line.
AIPAC has long been one of the most influential pro-Israel lobbying organisations in Washington, and its role in Democratic primaries has become a major flashpoint. Progressive candidates and activists have accused the group of using money and political pressure to punish lawmakers who criticise Israel’s war in Gaza or call for conditions on U.S. military support.
Mamdani’s comments come as New York’s progressive wing is trying to expand its power beyond City Hall and into Congress. He has been backing candidates who argue that public money should be invested in housing, healthcare, wages and local communities — not endless bombs and foreign wars.
For supporters, his rebuke of AIPAC was a sign that more American politicians are no longer afraid to openly challenge pro-Israel influence in U.S. politics. For critics, it will likely deepen accusations that Mamdani is pushing the Democratic Party too far left on Israel and foreign policy.
Either way, the rally showed that Palestine, Gaza and AIPAC’s political influence are no longer side issues in New York politics. They are now sitting at the centre of a wider fight over the future of the Democratic Party — and Mamdani is making it clear which side of that fight he wants to lead.