Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on July 7, 2026, criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) for his refusal to support Israel, citing the country's alleged privileging of Jewish citizens over other religious groups. Netanyahu called Mamdani's position "absurd," emphasizing that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East and highlighting that 20 percent of Israeli citizens are Muslims who participate fully in society, including serving on the Supreme Court.

Mamdani, who is Muslim, stated in June 2026 on ABC News's "This Week" that he supports Israel only as a state with equal rights for all religions. He said, "I think any state that privileges one religion over the other is one that I can’t tell you I support, whether it be Israel or Saudi Arabia or anywhere else."

According to the Pew Research Center, as of 2020, Jews comprised 77 percent of Israeli society, Muslims 14.7 percent, and Christians 1.9 percent. However, a 2025 report from Freedom House noted that long-term discrimination against Arab and other ethnic and religious minorities in Israel has resulted in systemic disparities in criminal justice, local government budgets, education, and economic opportunity.

Additionally, an October 2025 report from the Cost of War project at Brown University stated that during Israel's war against Hamas, the Israeli military killed or seriously injured more than 10 percent of the population in Gaza.

Netanyahu made his remarks during an interview with Dana Bash on CNN’s "Inside Politics," where he stressed that Muslims in Israel "share every walk of life."

Sources