Support for Palestine credited with Zohran Mamdani’s NYC primary victory, poll reveals

NEW YORK (MNTV) — A new poll has confirmed that Zohran Mamdani’s outspoken support for Palestinian rights played a decisive role in his landmark win during New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary, marking one of the most significant political upsets in recent years.

Mamdani, a state assemblyman and democratic socialist, secured more votes than any mayoral candidate in the city’s primary history, propelled in large part by younger and first-time voters galvanized by his stance on the Israel-Gaza war, reported Middle East Eye.

According to polling data released Tuesday by the IMEU Policy Project and conducted by Data for Progress, 78 percent of Mamdani’s supporters agreed with his characterization of Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide, while 79 percent supported restricting weapons transfers to Israel.

The survey, conducted between July 11 and 17, found that a striking 63 percent of Mamdani voters also backed his position that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be arrested under the ICC’s warrant if he visits New York — a pledge Mamdani has made part of his campaign platform.

While Mamdani’s broader agenda — including lowering the cost of living and taxing the wealthy — were cited by the majority of voters, his position on Palestinian rights ranked as the third most influential factor in voter decision-making.

Among new voters in 2025, 83 percent said his advocacy for Palestinians was a key reason they supported him.

The poll also showed that most of the voters energized by his campaign had not participated in the last mayoral election in 2021 — indicating that Mamdani’s candidacy mobilized a significant new bloc of politically engaged residents, many of them younger voters or those previously disillusioned with establishment politics.

His victory comes amid a broader shift in U.S. public opinion. A recent Gallup poll reported that Netanyahu’s approval rating in the United States has dropped to its lowest level since 1997.

U.S. public sympathy for Israel has also reached a historic low, with the margin over Palestinian support narrowing dramatically since October 2023, when the Gaza genocide began.

Over 60,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza since the October 7, with medical sources and independent estimates suggesting that the actual death toll may be significantly higher.

Hamid Bendaas, communications director for the IMEU Policy Project, said Mamdani’s win shows a clear disconnect between Democratic voters and the party’s leadership in Washington.

He pointed to near-unanimous support among Mamdani’s base for policies that only a small number of elected Democrats currently endorse — such as labeling Israeli military actions as genocide and restricting U.S. arms sales to Israel.

Mamdani’s primary opponent, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, received significant backing from AIPAC — the largest pro-Israel lobbying organization in the U.S. — which has a long track record of supporting candidates opposed to Palestinian rights. Despite being outspent eight to one, Mamdani’s grassroots momentum proved decisive.

According to Bendaas, the results may provide a roadmap for future Democratic campaigns.

“Palestine is not a fringe issue anymore — it’s a highly salient issue that’s motivating new voters and reshaping the party’s future,” he said. “What Mamdani’s victory shows is that no amount of outside spending can suppress an electorate that’s mobilized by justice and human rights.”