Are we now living in Mamdani’s world?

Summary

Ark News Daily — June 25, 2026

Episode Theme: Are We Now Living in Mamdani’s World?

Overview:
This episode dissects the growing influence of New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani and his brand of progressive politics, analyzing the results of recent Democratic primaries. The discussion explores how these shifts are shaping debates around Israel and Jewish identity in American politics, alongside an update on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Mamdani’s Endorsements: A Progressive Surge in NYC Politics

• Mamdani’s Political Reach:
  • Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s endorsement helped three Democratic Socialists win congressional primaries in New York City.
  • Victors include Claire Valdez, Darieliza Avila Chevalier (noted for leading Columbia University protests), and Brad Lander (former NYC Comptroller).
• Centrality of Israel:
  • All three made their criticism of Israel and opposition to AIPAC pivotal to their campaigns.
  • Seen as both a referendum on Israel and a test of how far these positions resonate regionally.
• Party Dynamics:
  • Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman labeled the victors “a pro-Hamas wing” within the Democratic Party ([00:55]).
    • Quote:
      • “These are an emerging the full pro Hamas wings just declaring a war on just regular Democrats.”
        — Yossi Klein Halevi ([00:55])
• Quote:
  • “I think Dan Goldman knows that he's out of step with his district on this issue. He voted for every single standalone aid package to Israel to fund all the 2,000 pound bombs that, you know, destroyed all of the schools and hospitals in Gaza. I've made clear I'll sign on to the Block the Bombs act and the Ceasefire Compliance act, neither of which he has. That's a pretty stark difference and it's one that Democratic voters are really clear about.”
    — Brad Lander ([01:45])

2. Balancing Criticism, Jewish Safety, and Antisemitism

• Community Concerns:
  • Jewish voters express fears that anti-Israel stances may endanger their safety.
  • Lander addressed the complexity:
    • Quote:
      • “You can criticize Israel and not be anti Semitic. You can be an anti Zionist and not be anti Semitic. Now too often though, people have started using Zionist as a slur for Jews and antisemitism. It rises with fascism and with war and we're amidst both right now.”
        — Brad Lander ([02:20])
• Diverse Results Across NYC:
  • In districts where Mamdani wasn’t involved, pro-Israel incumbents (Richie Torres, Grace Meng) and centrists (Micah Lasher) won decisively, showing limits to the progressive wave ([02:41]).

3. The Future of Mamdani’s Model

• Insurgent Strategy:
  • Mamdani’s endorsements now set the template for future progressive campaigns.
  • Expectation: progressive hopefuls will seek his backing, aiming for a grassroots “takeover” of Democratic politics in NYC ([03:11]).
    • Narrator Analysis:
      • “When Mamdani thought he had a viable candidate, he got involved. That'll be his model going forward. His success will crowdsource new candidates seeking his endorsement; he becomes the model for Democratic politics in New York City.” ([03:11])
• National Perspective:
  • Open question: Does the NYC result signal a broader trend, or is it unique to “deep blue” locales? Upcoming primaries elsewhere may prove pivotal ([03:53]).

4. Israeli Politics: Netanyahu’s Corruption Trial

• Trial Update:
  • Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu completed testimony in his multi-year corruption trial, encompassing charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust ([03:53]).
  • Testimony highlights:
    • Case involves gifts for favors, regulatory concessions, and media influence.
    • Netanyahu delivered 98 court hearings over 1.5 years — far surpassing precedent ([04:52]).
    • He continues to call it “10 years of hell” and asserts the charges are politically motivated.
  • Impact on Israeli Society:
    • Divides: supporters see a “witch hunt,” opponents view it as a historic test of accountability.
    • The trial may persist for at least two more years unless resolved through pardon or plea, ensuring continued political tension ([05:45]).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the ideological fracture in the Democratic Party:

  • “These are an emerging the full pro Hamas wings just declaring a war on just regular Democrats.”
    — Yossi Klein Halevi ([00:55])

• On primary victories as a referendum on Israel:

  • “I've made clear I'll sign on to the Block the Bombs act and the Ceasefire Compliance act… That's a pretty stark difference and it's one that Democratic voters are really clear about.”
    — Brad Lander ([01:45])

• On antisemitism and criticism of Israel:

  • “You can criticize Israel and not be anti Semitic. You can be an anti Zionist and not be anti Semitic… Antisemitism rises with fascism and with war, and we're amidst both right now.”
    — Brad Lander ([02:20])

• On Mamdani’s evolving role:

  • “He becomes the model for success in Democratic politics in New York City.”
    — Narrator ([03:11])

• On Netanyahu’s trial and its significance:

  • “His opposition sees it as the most important test case of accountability in Israeli democratic history.”
    — Deborah Pardes ([05:27])

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:12] — Opening & Episode Overview
• [00:55] — Party & Israel: Fetterman and Halevi on Primary Winners
• [01:45] — Brad Lander on Israel, Aid, and Defining the Race
• [02:20] — Lander: Criticism vs. Antisemitism
• [02:41] — Results in Other Districts; Pro-Israel Democratic Wins
• [03:11] — Analysis: Mamdani’s Playbook & Progressive Model
• [03:53] — National Implications: Beyond NYC
• [03:53] — Netanyahu Corruption Trial Overview
• [05:45] — Impact & Ongoing Nature of Netanyahu’s Trial

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Summary Takeaway

The episode explores whether New York’s progressive primary results signal a shift to “Mamdani’s world,” where sharp debates over Israel define Democratic contests, and party alignments shift accordingly. The discussion sharply contrasts these local shifts with ongoing national and international challenges, including the turbulence of Israeli politics and implications for Jewish communities worldwide. The hosts highlight a moment where both American and Israeli politics are undergoing generational tests, with the enduring message that these debates are neither simple nor going away any time soon.

Transcript

[Narrator]

You are listening to an art media podcast.

[Deborah Pardes]

It's Thursday, june 25th. This episode was recorded at 6:00pm new york time on Wednesday. I'm deborah pardes and this is arc news daily. New York City Mayor Zoran Mandani personally endorsed three candidates in the city's congressional Democratic primaries. All three of them won. The results can be seen as a referendum on Israel, but also showed there might be some limits to how far that referendum goes. Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman is one of Israel's strongest backers in the party. He told Fox News the winners represented what he called a pro Hamas wing of the party.

[Yossi Klein Halevi]

These are an emerging the full pro Hamas wings just declaring a war on just regular Democrats.

[Deborah Pardes]

The Mamdani backed Democratic Socialist Claire Valdez beat her opponent, as did Darieliza Avila Chevalier, a doctoral student and former leader of the Columbia University encampment protests. She took down a five term incumbent. Each made their stance on Israel and AIPAC central to their campaign. But for many in the Jewish community, it was Brad Lander's win that really showed the challenge for Jewish Democrats. We covered his race yesterday. Lander is the former New York City Comptroller and he beat out incumbent Representative Dan Goldman. After his win, he told CNN that Israel was a defining issue of the race.

[Brad Lander]

I think Dan Goldman knows that he's out of step with his district on this issue. He voted for every single standalone aid package to Israel to fund all the 2,000 pound bombs that, you know, destroyed all of the schools and hospitals in Gaza. I've made clear I'll sign on to the Block the Bombs act and the Ceasefire Compliance act, neither of which he has. That's a pretty stark difference and it's one that Democratic voters are really clear about.

[Deborah Pardes]

Many Jews believe that kind of stance is making their communities less safe. In his victory speech, Lander was trying to thread the needle.

[Brad Lander]

You can criticize Israel and not be anti Semitic. You can be an anti Zionist and not be anti Semitic. Now too often though, people have started using Zionist as a slur for Jews and antisemitism. It rises with fascism and with war and we're amidst both right now.

[Deborah Pardes]

In other parts of New York, pro Israel Democrats won in races that Mandani did not personally campaign in. Incumbent Representative Richie Torres beat a leftist challenger. Representative Grace Meng won her race. And Jewish centrist Micah Lasher won the open seat left by retiring Congressman Jerry Nadler. One of the big questions for ARC Media's Dan Senor is what does this all say about Mamdani's influence over the Democratic Party.

[Narrator]

There was not what we would think of as a progressive insurgent victory, interestingly. And Mamdani did not get involved in any of those races. The question is, did Mamdani believe he had someone viable to back in the races where he did think he had someone viable, he was sure to do it. And I think that'll be his model going forward. And I think this experience now will crowdsource all sorts of candidates that are going to try to win the Mamdani endorsement, progressive insurgents who want to be part of the takeover of the Democratic Party in New York. They are all going to be reaching out to Madani and his political lieutenants to try to win them over. He becomes the model for success in Democratic politics in New York City.

[Deborah Pardes]

The other test of where things are heading is the Democratic primaries outside deep blue cities that will show whether New York is an outlier or a sign of things to come. Yesterday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finished providing testimony in his corruption trial. For those who haven't been following, Netanyahu faces bribery, fraud and breach of trust across three separate cases. The charges follow the same basic pattern. Netanyahu allegedly exchanged official favors for personal benefits. Those include gifts from a Hollywood producer, positive media coverage from a newspaper publisher, and he is also charged with making regulatory decisions worth hundreds of millions of shekels to a telecom billionaire who owned a news website. Netanyahu has denied all of it from the very beginning. And in the courtroom yesterday, he called the entire proceeding, quote, 10 years of hell. The police investigation began in 2016, and Netanyahu was originally charged after three years. His testimony alone has spanned 98 court hearings over the last year and a half. To put that in perspective, when former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert testified in his own corruption case, it took 25 sessions that were held after his resignation from office. That case ended with a conviction and a prison sentence. Netanyahu's testimony was nearly four times as long, which is unprecedented. And the trial still isn't over. The saga is one of the most divisive in Israeli society. Netanyahu and his supporters see the case as a politically motivated prosecution, a coordinated effort to remove a leader who couldn't be beat at the ballot box. His opposition sees it as the most important test case of accountability in Israeli democratic history. The trial is expected to run at least two more years before a verdict. Unless a pardon comes through or plea negotiations resume, this case will remain at the center of Israeli life for the foreseeable future. I'm Deborah Pardes and this is ARC News Daily. See you tomorrow.

[Daniel Hartman]

Hi, I'm Daniel Hartman, president of the Sholem Hartman Institute in Jerusalem.

[Yossi Klein Halevi]

And I'm Yossi Klein Halevi, senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute.

[Daniel Hartman]

What's more important? To be feared by your enemies or morally true to yourself?

[Yossi Klein Halevi]

Should Israel strive to be a nation among nations? Or should it accept the fact that it is now a fortress apart?

[Daniel Hartman]

What do Israelis and Diaspora Jews owe each other? If you're Jewish or a friend, an

[Yossi Klein Halevi]

ally, these questions have been gnawing at you these past few years.

[Daniel Hartman]

For some of you, like for us, these questions have been keeping you up at night. And for some, they've been simmering in the background, waiting for answers.

[Yossi Klein Halevi]

But dilemmas don't always have clear answers. What they do deserve are honest and respectful debates.

[Daniel Hartman]

And as it happens, Yossi and I love to challenge each other to get to the bottom of things.

[Yossi Klein Halevi]

We look at current events through a lens that speaks to us most deeply. A Jewish lens.

[Daniel Hartman]

So if today's Jewish dilemmas are on your mind, tune into our conversation on For Heaven's Sake, a partnership between ARC Media and the Sholem Hartman Institute.

[Yossi Klein Halevi]

You can find For Heaven's Sake on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Daniel Hartman]

See you there.