During a recent debate, Zohran Mamdani, the favored socialist candidate for New York City’s mayoral race, faced criticism from Andrew Cuomo over his hesitance to denounce Hamas.

Mamdani, who is 33 years old and currently leading by a significant margin in the polls, has sparked concern among centrists and conservatives with his strong critiques of Israel’s military activities in Gaza. This has led to some unease within those groups.

Cuomo intensified his efforts to portray Mamdani as a threat to Jewish residents in New York by drawing attention to Mamdani’s previous reluctance to repudiate the slogan ‘Globalize the intifada,’ which is interpreted by many in the Jewish community as an incitement to violence.

“Why won’t he condemn Hamas?” Cuomo questioned. “He still refuses to denounce ‘Globalize the intifada,’ which is perceived as a call to harm Jews.”

Since the primary, Mamdani has clarified that he does not endorse the phrase and would advise others against using it.

But Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa said it wasn’t enough.

‘Jews don´t trust that you are going to be there for them when they are the victims of antisemitic attacks,’ he said.

During an appearance on Fox News earlier this week, Mamdani sidestepped a question about whether Hamas should lay down arms as part of a fragile truce that has paused the two-year Israel-Hamas war.

Socialist New York City mayoral favorite Zohran Mamdani came under fire during a debate when Andrew Cuomo challenged him on his refusal to condemn Hamas

From left, Mayoral candidates Independent candidate former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa and Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani participate in a mayoral debate

On Thursday he did not equivocate, saying, ‘Of course I believe that they should lay down their arms.’

Mamdani accused Cuomo of discounting the city’s Muslim community, claiming that it took losing to a Muslim candidate for Cuomo to step inside a mosque.

‘It took me to get you to even see Muslims as part of this city,’ Mamdani said.

Mamdani came under attack straight out the gate, as Cuomo highlighted the 33-year-old’s relative lack of job experience.

Cuomo, stressing his own executive experience, said being mayor ‘is no job for on-the-job training’

‘This is not a job for a first timer,’ he said.

Mamdani hit back at Cuomo´s integrity and decision-making as the COVID-19 pandemic spread through nursing homes.

‘What I don´t have in experience, I make up for in integrity. What you don´t have in integrity, you can never make up for in experience,’ he charged.

Mamdani’s brand of economic populism – a laser focus on lowering the city’s astronomical cost of living through the idea that government should do more to help the lower and middle classes instead of wealthy people – has generated buzz and excitement.

The president, who has threatened to arrest Mamdani, to deport him and even to take over the city if he wins, was invoked early and often.

Pressed on how they would handle Trump, Mamdani said he would stand up to him while also being willing to work with him on lowering costs and affordability.

‘What New Yorkers need is a mayor who can stand up to Donald Trump and actually deliver,’ he said.

Cuomo warned that if Mamdani wins, ‘It will be Mayor Trump.’

‘I´d like to work with you. I think we could do good things together. But No. 1, I will fight you every step of the way if you try to hurt New York,’ Cuomo pledged.

He said Sliwa would not stand up to Trump, and as for Mamdani, the president ‘would knock him on his face.’

Sliwa warned that taking too contentious a tone would end up hurting the city.

‘If you try to get tough with Trump,’ he said, ‘New Yorkers will suffer.’

The underdog candidate found himself caught in the middle – literally and figuratively – with the Republican´s lectern positioned between his two opponents as they lobbed attacks at one another.

At one point Sliwa complained that he was not getting enough speaking time, saying, ‘I am being marginalized out of this.’

At other times Sliwa aggressively attacked both Mamdani and Cuomo, including after the former governor stressed his willingness to take on Trump.

‘You think you´re the toughest guy alive, but let me tell you something, you lost your own primary, rejected by your own Democratic party,’ Sliwa said.

Sliwa has resisted calls to exit the race from Mamdani critics who want to frame up a one-on-one race between Cuomo and Mamdani

So far little has changed the trajectory, including Adams’ departure.

A poll of New York City likely voters conducted by Quinnipiac University in early October, after Adams ended his bid for a second term, found that Mamdani continued to hold a lead over Cuomo. 

The poll suggested that Cuomo may have benefited somewhat from Adams´ departure, but the current mayor´s exit did not appear to have a meaningful impact on the state of the race.

Adams was not included in the poll but remains on the November ballot because he didn´t withdraw his candidacy before a balloting deadline.

The candidates are scheduled to meet for a second and final debate next week.