History: NYC Elects Zohran Mamdani!

A historic night: Mamdani to become the first Muslim mayor of NYC, the youngest mayor in over 100 years (at 34 years old), in election with the biggest voter turnout (2+ million) since 1969!!! A Democratic Socialist in the financial capital of the world to boot! And it looks like, despite the tens of millions spent against him by the billionaire class, he will have an outright 50%+ majority win. Mabrouk beta!

OAN Asks the Hard Questions...Really?

One America News (OAN) is a family-owned, far-right, pro-Trump news channel popular with many in the MAGA base. President Trump also loves the network; so much so, that his administration plans to publish news from OAN on the Voice of America and other U.S.-run media. So, it is salient what plays on OAN.

On foreign policy, MAGA's views on Israel appear to be shifting after Netanyahu's pre-emptive attack on Iran that threatened to embroil the U.S. in another Mideast war. In a further sign of unease with Israeli policies that are at odds with MAGA's "America's First" tenant, OAN host Matt Gaetz (the controversial ex-Congressman and Trump acolyte) ran a segment titled: How Many Americans Do Israeli Settlers Have to Kill Before We Care? The report covered the killing of 20-year old Palestinian-American Saif Musallet in the West Bank that Gaetz called an act of terrorism. Gaetz also talks about broader attacks on Palestinians by Israel with U.S. tax dollars...so, OAN doing hard-hitting news now?

Say My Name, Say My Name...

Today is the final day for early voting ahead of Tuesday's Democratic primary election for New York City mayor. Since NYC is a heavily Democratic city, so the winner of the primary will be heavily favored to win the general mayoral election (in November). Andrew Cuomo, the former disgraced NY state governor, is the front runner. But an exciting insurgent campaign from a young, charismatic state senator, Zohran Kwame Mamdani, has shaken up the race. Mr. Mamdani,33, is an Indian American Muslim born in Uganda, who is running on a socialist platform to tackle NYC's most pressing problems: the high cost of living and gaping economic inequality. Mamdani is the son of Columbia University professor, Mahmood Mamdani, and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Mira Nair and has represented New York's 36th State Assembly district in Queens since 2021.  

In the primary debates, Mamdani took Cuomo to task a number of times, no more so when asked why he would be a better candidate that his opponent. After rattling off a multitude of important reasons why he is the better choice, he pointedly corrected Mr. Cuomo that his name is pronounced Mamdani...M-A-M-D-A-N-I. Mic drop...

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Mamdani has been a staunch defender of Palestinian rights for years and has not shied away from his position even as he seeks to be the mayor of a city with almost a million Jews. Not surprisingly he's had to defend himself against allegations of antisemitism. Here Whitney Tilson, another candidate, tries to bait him with the same. But Mamdani gives such an eloquent response that even Tilson seems persuaded. 

Go vote!! Ve a votar!!

Israeli Exceptionalism

In a powerful segment, Jon Stewart calls out American hypocrisy when comes to America's favorite ally. Referring to the conflict in Gaza, Stewart remarks that justice is beginning to "look like cruelty," but not to worry America is on the case with its "universal values." And then proceeds to expose the contrasts and glaring contradictions in Joe Biden's approach to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. The journalist Spencer Ackerman effectively made the same argument in a scathing op-ed in the NYT, arguing America is undermining its credibility by having a different standard for Israel. As Stewart dryly notes, "Every time America tells the world that there’s something we won't allow, Israel seems to say, 'Challenge accepted.'"

Thanks Jon... it's all very "concerning".  

Ramy: God, Free Palestine!

Arab-Muslim comedian Ramy Youssef hosted a "spiritual" SNL last night with ongoing Ramadan and Easter Sunday coming together. Youssef gave a funny and heartfelt monologue, riffing on the Arab-American experience, politics, and prayer. He ended the segment by asking God to "free the people of Palestine" and "free all the hostages." His plea for the liberation of Gaza and West Bank received rapturous applause from the audience as polls show the majority of Americans (55%) oppose Israeli action in Gaza. Among Democrats it's closer to 80%. Ya habibi!

There was also a funny bit on Ramadan Ozepmic:

Trevor Noah Asks the Hard Question: What is Your Responsibility?

With fighting raging in Jerusalem Trevor Noah bravely addressed the tensions in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. Look, this is a very difficult and contentious issue...so complex, Noah acknowledged, that even Jared Kushner couldn't solve it! Yet, Noah  in ten minutes did a better job of in the describing the situation than any mainstream journalist has ever been able to. He rightfully points out that depending on when you start the clock on a conflict that goes back 73 years, you can fairly blame one side or the other. (I'd also add the damn Brits! Who, really, when you think about it are responsible for many of the world's long-running conflicts...but I digress). At the end of the day, today, with a vastly superior military strength, Noah points out that Israel faces no real existential threat from the Palestinians, and that imbalance is akin to a teenage Noah fighting his annoying and pesky 5-year old cousins. Yes, the kids are trying their hardest to land a punch and will fight dirty, but Noah understands the difference between them and his responsibility not do the same. So he bluntly asks, "What responsibility does Israel have?"    

It was a pretty powerful The Daily Show segment. Raw and genuine. Watch it below (or again).

Separately, the NYT ran two op-eds today featuring the latest Mid-east conflict. One is from the paper's "conscience," Nicholas Kristof, who is critical of Hamas and of Israeli policies that led to their rise and also unconditional U.S. military aid, some $112 billion since 1946. 

The second is from Peter Beinart, who writes about the Nabka, or “catastrophe” in Arabic, generally referring to the over 700,000 Palestinians expelled during Israel’s founding. Beinart notes that it's a difficult subject for many of his fellow Jews to discuss "because [it's] inextricably bound up with Israel’s creation. Without the mass expulsion of Palestinians in 1948, Zionist leaders would have had neither the land nor the large Jewish majority necessary to create a viable Jewish state." Today, Israeli leaders insist Palestinians give up their demands to return citing facts on the ground. Beinart find this demand rich in irony because "because no people in human history have clung as stubbornly to the dream of return as have Jews. Establishment Jewish leaders denounce the fact that Palestinians pass down their identity as refugees to their children and grandchildren. But Jews have passed down our identity as refugees for 2,000 years. In our holidays and liturgy we continually mourn our expulsion and express our yearning for return."

At the same Beinart does provides some hope of reconciliation recounting the experience of George Bisharat, a Palestinian-American law professor. After Bisharat "wrote about the house in Jerusalem that his grandfather had built and been robbed of, a former Israeli soldier who had lived in it contacted him unexpectedly. “I am sorry, I was blind. What we did was wrong, but I participated in it and I cannot deny it,” the former soldier said when they met, and then added, “I owe your family three months’ rent.” Mr. Bisharat later wrote that he was inspired to match the Israeli’s humanity."

Ultimately, our common humanity overwhelms our differences. My guess is, if Israelis and Palestinians got to know each other better they would realize they have more in common than difference.