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Middle East Eye
3 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Andrew Cuomo: Favourite choice for pro-Israel voices jumps back into NYC mayoral race
He was New York's governor for a decade until he resigned in 2021, following allegations of sexual harassment from at least 11 women. During that same period, he was also alleged to have undercounted the number of Covid-19 deaths in nursing homes by some 50 percent, even as he gained worldwide recognition for his daily press briefings during New York's pandemic lockdown. But Andrew Cuomo just won't quit. Last month, he was handily beaten in the Democratic mayoral primary by newcomer and self-described "Democratic Socialist" Zohran Mamdani. It was, by all accounts, a stunning upset for a man from a political dynasty who thought the candidacy - and the job - was his for the taking. Cuomo conceded the race before it was called, when the numbers showed he wouldn't be able to catch up to his rival. But on Monday, he jumped right back in, this time as an Independent candidate, vowing that he was "in it to win it". New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters In a 90-second video that seemed to mimic what has been a resoundingly successful campaign approach adopted by 33-year-old Mamdani, the 67-year-old Cuomo is seen in a casual summer button-down shirt, shaking hands with New Yorkers as he walks down the street. "My opponent Mandani offers slick slogans, but no real solutions," Cuomo said in the video, once again mispronouncing Mamdani's name as he did repeatedly during their primary debate. "You deserve a mayor with the experience and ideas to make [affordability] happen," he added, referring to Mamdani's key campaign promise but also his relative lack of political experience. In a letter Cuomo sent to supporters, cited by The New York Times, he acknowledged that he "played it safe, believing in the polls that said our campaign was way ahead". 'I was not aggressive enough in communicating my vision for a fairer, safer, more affordable New York, or in debunking and exposing Zohran Mamdani's unrealistic proposals and divisive agenda. I promise you, I will not make that mistake again," he said. One of the biggest shortcomings of his initial campaign was not making himself available to reporters and strictly sticking to a script, The New York Times also reported. And despite outside groups pulling together well over $25m from hedge funders and billionaire CEOs to back his candidacy, Cuomo still only took in 48 percent of the votes compared to Mamdani's 56 percent. Palestinians rights Cuomo was also backed by the old guard of the Democratic establishment, including former president Bill Clinton and Senate Minority Leader and New York Senator Chuck Schumer. They all congratulated Mamdani, but refused to endorse him after he won the party nomination. This was in large part due to Mamdani's support for the Palestinian liberation movement, which also calls for a one-state solution with equal rights for all citizens. More than one million Jewish people reside in New York City alone, the largest number outside of Israel. Some are dual US-Israeli citizens. Cuomo has repeatedly emphasised his pro-Israel credentials and was accused by Mamdani's people of running an Islamophobic campaign. Brad Lander, the city comptroller and highest-ranking Jewish official in New York, echoed that accusation during his own campaign for the Democratic mayoral nomination. On Monday, while reposting Cuomo's video on X, Lander said the vote "did not go the way I had hoped either", but that "unlike Andrew Cuomo, I'm capable of listening to New Yorkers" who rejected him the first time around. Cuomo and Netanyahu Cuomo has long been the favoured choice for the pro-Israel camp among Democrats, but he more firmly embedded himself in the movement last year, when he formed the group "Never Again, NOW!" in light of the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel, which led to the deaths of around 1,200 people, and subsequent start of the war on Gaza. Since then, Israel has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, nearly half of whom were children. In November, Cuomo joined the legal team to defend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, after a warrant was issued for Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court (ICC). "I am proud to be on the legal defense for the prime minister against the arrest warrant at the ICC and I am proud to stand against antisemitism," Cuomo said at the time. Mamdani, meanwhile, pledged to have Netanyahu arrested should he ever set foot in New York City. The general election to decide New York City's next mayor is on 4 November. The current mayor and scandal-plagued former police chief, Eric Adams, will also be running for re-election as an Independent. He was previously charged with accepting bribes from Turkish officials, but when the Trump administration came into power, those charges were dropped.
The National
3 hours ago
- The National
US ambassador to Israel calls American's death in West Bank a ‘terrorist act'
Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, is calling for an investigation into the killing of a 20-year-old American citizen in the West Bank. Israeli settlers beat Sayfollah Musallat to death last week in the village of Sinjil, to the north-east of Ramallah, according to his family and the Palestinian Health Ministry. In a post on X, Mr Huckabee said he had urged the Israeli government to 'aggressively investigate' Mr Musallat's death. 'There must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act,' he wrote. The Israeli embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mr Musallat's family claim that settlers and Israeli military blocked aid from reaching him for several hours. His younger brother was eventually able to carry him to a waiting ambulance but Mr Mussallat died before reaching the hospital. 'We are devastated that our beloved Saif Musallat was brutally beaten to death in our family's land by illegal Israeli settlers who were attempting to steal it,' the family said. Another Palestinian was killed in the attack and 10 wounded. Settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has been on the rise since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on southern Israel. Former president Joe Biden's administration imposed economic sanctions against certain settlers and groups to try to dissuade them from committing violence against Palestinians, but President Donald Trump scrapped the sanctions shortly after taking office. Mr Huckabee, an evangelical preacher and former governor of Arkansas, is an avid supporter of Israel and often refers to the West Bank by its biblical name, Judea and Samaria.
The National
5 hours ago
- The National
Lebanon banks banned from dealing with Hezbollah's financial networks
Lebanon 's banks have been banned from dealing with financial networks linked to Hezbollah, according to a document seen by The National. The Hezbollah-affiliated institutions include Al-Qard Al-Hasan Association, which has been providing compensation to residents affected by the latest war with Israel. Others are Tashilat SARL, Yousser Company and Bayt al-Mal. The decision, made by Lebanon's Central Bank, comes as Hezbollah, once a formidable militia and influential political party in Lebanon, is weakened significantly by months of conflict with Israel that destroyed much of its leadership and arsenal. Hezbollah is now under unprecedented pressure to disarm after the war ended in a November ceasefire brokered by the US and France. Its disarmament, once a taboo, is now on the table. US special envoy Thomas Barrack said in a post on X on Tuesday that the ban was a 'step in the right direction'. Mr Barrack visited Beirut last week, where was handed Lebanon's reply to a US plan aimed at disarming Hezbollah. According to a central bank circular, all financial institutions licensed by it - as well as brokers - are banned from conducting any transactions, directly or indirectly, with institutions including Al Qard Al Hassan. Failure to comply with the decision could result in legal action, such as suspension or revocation of licences, freezing of accounts and assets, or referral to the Special Investigation Commission, the memo said. All the financial companies cited in the document are under US sanctions, accused of providing financial support to Hezbollah's network. Tashilat SARL was the latest to be added to the US Treasury's sanctions list in early July. The organisation and seven senior officials were listed over their association with Al Qard Al Hassan. Last year, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) added Lebanon to its "grey list" of jurisdictions under enhanced scrutiny. Founded in 1983 and registered as a non-governmental organisation in Lebanon, Al Qard Al Hassan has grown to become the country's largest microcredit provider, particularly serving the Shiite community. Before the war, it was running more than 30 branches across Lebanon, including 15 in Beirut and its suburbs. Israel destroyed and damaged several of its branches during last year's conflict with Hezbollah. Lebanese banker Jean Riachi told The National that nothing has changed for the banks. 'Banks, in principle, do not work with sanctioned entities,' he said. 'There's certainly a symbolic element to naming Al Qard Al Hassan directly. It's unusual to single out a specific entity in a central bank circular, that's generally not done." He explained that previous circulars did not explicitly ban institutions other than banks, such as money transfer agencies and e-payment platforms, from dealing with Al Qard Al Hassan and linked agencies. 'Banks already avoided these entities under the cover of compliance requirements from foreign correspondent banks,' Mr Riachi said. "But these entities don't have correspondents abroad anyway, so technically they weren't affected." He added that the move was a positive step towards improving compliance, while not addressing the core of the issue, that these Hezbollah-affiliated institutions are not licensed with Lebanon's Central Bank. 'It's a good step but no one has dared to go further and declare what they're doing as illegal. Because technically, to operate as a bank, you need a licence from the Central Bank of Lebanon. They're not doing it, it's still a highly political issue."
