London — Zohran Mamdani’s win in New York Metropolis’s mayoral race has ignited passions for and in opposition to him, from pleasure in his birthplace of Uganda and applause from his counterpart in London to anger from Israel’s high diplomat within the U.S.
Mamdani is a self-described democratic socialist who would be the metropolis’s first Muslim mayor, and his victory left some individuals in Africa beaming with pleasure for a hometown son. Mamdani was born within the East African nation of Uganda 34 years in the past, then lived in South Africa for 2 years earlier than transferring along with his household to New York as a baby.
New York Metropolis Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani celebrates throughout an election night time occasion on the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, New York, Nov. 4, 2025.
ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty
“Whatever he wanted to do, there was no middle point. Always he wanted the top,” recalled Beyanga. “Then I realized he was not just interested in current affairs. He was interested in how the current affairs affect the people. If you’re talking about big money, the budget and all that, how does this affect the last person … he was interested in how it affects the people.”
“When it was time to interact with people, he talked to people looking straight in the eye,” he stated.
Beyanga added that even 17 years after he met Mamdani, he nonetheless sees the identical individual within the New York Metropolis politician.
“Nothing has changed. His heart is with the people, and I don’t think that will change,” he stated. “I’ve seen other outlets calling him populist and opponents giving him all sorts of names. I see a man after the heart of serving people, serving the down-trodden people in society. And hey, that doesn’t come far away from who he is. He is a Ugandan boy, and the Ugandan boy cares for the people.”
Beyanga in contrast pleasure in Uganda now to the exuberance amongst many Kenyans and Indonesians when former President Barack Obama was first elected.
In the UK, London Mayor Sadiq Khan — who grew to become the British capital’s first Muslim chief when he was first elected in 2016 — voiced solidarity along with his new counterpart. Khan is at present serving his third consecutive time period.
“New Yorkers faced a clear choice — between hope and fear — and just like we’ve seen in London — hope won,” Khan stated in a social media put up. “Huge congratulations to Zohran Mamdani on his historic campaign.”
“But — in two of the most diverse cities on Earth — it’s a bit beside the point,” Khan stated. “We did not win because of our faith. We won because we addressed voters’ concerns, rather than playing on them.”
“Mayor Mamdani and I might not agree on everything. Many of the challenges our cities face are similar, but they are not identical. Put policy differences aside, though, and it’s clear that we are united by something far more fundamental: our belief in the power of politics to change people’s lives for the better.”
Mamdani, a longtime supporter of Palestinian rights, has been accused of antisemitism and being pro-Hamas, which he denies.
He has additionally been known as out for refusing to sentence the phrase “globalize the intifada.” Intifada is an Arabic phrase which means rebellion, however which is extensively seen as a slogan inciting violence in opposition to Israel. Nevertheless, throughout his marketing campaign he stated he would “discourage” others from utilizing the phrase and that it “is not language that I use.”
“Mamdani’s inflammatory remarks will not deter us,” Israeli Ambassador to the US Danny Dannon stated in a social media put up on Wednesday. “The Jewish community in New York and across the United States deserves safety and respect. We will continue to strengthen our ties with Jewish community leaders to ensure their security and well-being.”
On Wednesday morning, the Occasions of Israel‘s front-page headline learn: “Far-left, anti-Israel candidate Zohran Mamdani wins New York City mayoral race.”
The Jerusalem Publish‘s high featured editorial stated: “Mamdani winning in NY means antisemitism can win elections, would impact Jews globally.”
Extra from CBS Information
