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Business Recorder
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
The new mayor on the block
A Jihadist. A terrorist. A communist. A Muslim. A lunatic. A firebrand. A socialist. A reformist. These and many others are the tags and labels being given to Zohran Mamdani the new nominee of the Democratic party's New York City mayor election. His race against Andrew Cuomo may seem a typical intra party politics but there is nothing typical about it. It is a campaign that has turned the staid and stale primary races into a scintillating duel between the old and the new, between the old and the young, between the set and the upset. It has created havoc with set way of running campaigns. It has created uproar in the set of running politics. And, it has created cracks in the set rules and regulations of the 'established' forces in America. All this blitz is not in a general election for the Presidential race, this is a mere primary race to elect a nominee for a mayor of a city. Despite that it has caught the imagination of the voters in New York. Despite that it has caught the eye of the global media. Despite that it has become the focus of electoral experts, geo political analysts, and social scientists. It has caught the electoral politics by a storm. Zohran Mamdani is everything that the big guns in the big parties love to hate. He is only 33 years of age. He is Muslim. He is anti-Netanyahu. He calls Narender Modi 'The butcher of Gujarat'. All these are big 'No Nos' in the big scheme of the big parties ruling the big superpower. Such daring and dashing rhetoric does catch the media attention but rarely translates into voter preference, but it has. That is the worrying point for those who for decades have supported the big powers in every illegal activity. Zohran Mamdani's campaign is not shocking, it is stunning. Some knock overs in the campaign are: The Underdog Vs the Bulldog— For somebody whose name hardly anybody knew, to come from behind and outrace the big Democrat stalwarts has kind of sent the party power brokers in a disbelief. Nobody thought he had a chance-not even the most reliable polls. Two of pre-election, nonpartisan polls had Cuomo leading in the first round. Emerson College showed Cuomo ahead by 3 points in the first round, and Marist University showed Cuomo leading by 12 points in the first-choice tally. Mamdani finished the unofficial tally 7 points ahead forcing Andrew Cuomo to withdraw from the race. Every attack that Mamdani received from his opponents, he turned it to his advantage. Nothing appeals more to the human instinct than the story of the boy next door giving it back to the boys on the Capitol Hill. He did exactly that. They called him names, he called out their corruption. They made fun of him, he ridiculed their performance. In many of the debates, he left his opponents speechless. When called out for inexperience he called back on their experienced harassment and embezzlement. They made fun of his name. He made fun of their inability to pronounce his name. It became the classic David Vs Goliath story. And, who can resist such a fairy-tale turned to reality. The Street, the door the sea— So Zohran Mamdani ran the campaign. Yes he actually 'ran' through the campaign. He was everywhere. In the boroughs, on the bus, in the underground, on the streets, in the halls, in the houses, in the sea. Yes he was. In the freezing waters. He just 'outran' his opponents who seemed stuck on their plush seats, too tacky in their attempts to connect to voters, and too obsolete in their ways of pouring in money to buy votes. On the election day pro-Cuomo Super Pac, funded by billionaire s including Trump supporters like Wall Street big gun Bill Ackman had spent $25m, on smear ads. Mamdani's Pac spent $1.2m, and a Working Families party-affiliated Pac put in $500,000. Mamdani had as many as 50,000 volunteers, who knocked over a million doors. Cuomo avoided the public and the press. Mamdani on the other hand was with the people, with the press available and accessible. That reinforced the image of those in higher places Vs he is just one of us. Listen, logic, talk style— Mamdani formed his campaign theme based on what the voters wanted. He said it was time to 'stop lecturing and start listening'. In his relentless meetings with the voter segments the common issue was economic agenda. He went around asking why some of the Democrat voters had voted for Trump and the answer was that cost of living four years earlier when Trump was there was cheaper. That gave rise to his campaign of 'Affordability'. He used the social media to logically present his theme of freezing rents and charging the wealthy higher taxes to fund this subsidy. Most politicians use the social media. However, the big smearing Ads made by big money are now a 'bore'. The curated speeches of candidates are considered stage-managed and far from reality. Mamdani changed all that. He 'ran' real on street and made online real-time videos which had a look of spontaneity, fun, energy and connectivity. He talked in English, Urdu, Spanish to connect to different segments. His videos catering to the South Asian voters used famous Bollywood clips to deliver the message in his witty style. He combined the old style of knock the doors, shake the hands campaigning with the modern, snappy, snazzy, funny, reels on the net that went viral. It is amazing how a single city primary race for the mayor has become the talk of global media. Of course, this is not just another city. This is one of the wealthiest cities in the world. This is a city that has the most Jews outside Israel. Zohran has won despite his declaration of getting Netanyahu arrested if he came to New York. He is bold and daring and unapologetic but in a charming and un-offensive way. His cheerful, smiling, slightly crumpled suited look make him look like the average professional on his way to the office. His articulate, logical, smart rhetoric and responses make his critics fumble for reactions. Many compare him with Obama's entry in politics. Obama was also from an African, Muslim descent. He was also from privileged schooling and very articulate. He also talked about peace and economic progress. He went on to become the President of America. But, he turned out to be the biggest arms salesman in the presidential history of America. Will Zohran maintain his authenticity despite the state establishment and despite the big money establishment? Only time will tell. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Channel 4
04-06-2025
- General
- Channel 4
Right-wing and anti-war protestors clash over Gaza aid trucks
Aid hubs in Gaza have been closed after the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation suspended their operations for a day leaving people desperate and hungry. The trucks bringing supplies into the strip come through the southern border crossing. We travelled there to find protesters attempting to stop them while counter protesters, anti-Netanyahu and anti-war activists tried to help them get through.
Straits Times
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Israeli PM says new intelligence chief to take office in June
Israeli PM says new intelligence chief to take office in June JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on May 23 the newly named head of the domestic intelligence service would take office without delay next month, following a bitter row over the removal of his predecessor. "The Prime Minister is responsible for the security of the state, even more so during a multi-front war," Mr Netanyahu said in a statement, following the appointment of Major General David Zini, head of the military's Training and Doctrine Command as head of the Shin Bet intelligence service. Maj Gen Zini will replace Mr Ronen Bar, who said he would resign on June 15 following a bitter dispute with Mr Netanyahu who tried to sack him in March before the decision was blocked by a Supreme Court temporary injunction. In April, the Supreme Court ruled that the dismissal was illegal but Mr Bar said he would step down to allow an orderly handover. Mr Netanyahu said when he announced the dismissal in March that he had lost confidence in Mr Bar over Shin Bet's failure to prevent the Oct 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. The move drew a furious reaction from critics who said the real reason for Mr Bar's dismissal was an investigation by police and Shin Bet into possible financial ties between a number of close aides of the prime minister and Qatar. The affair sparked large demonstrations in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem by protesters who said Mr Netanyahu was undermining democracy by trying to sack Mr Bar while the so-called "Qatargate" investigation was underway. Earlier in May, the Supreme Court ruled that Mr Bar's dismissal was done in violation of the law, and that Mr Netanyahu had a conflict of interest over the Qatargate investigation. Mr Bar had always accepted responsibility for Shin Bet's failure in forestalling the Oct 7 attacks and had said he would leave his post early. Mr Netanyahu said any delay in appointing a new head of the agency, which conducts counterterrorism investigations, was a "security requirement of the highest order, any delay harms the security of the state and the security of our soldiers". Military The standoff over the head of Shin Bet followed more than two years of hostility between Mr Netanyahu supporters and elements of the security and defence establishment that was worsened by blame over the failures that allowed Hamas' Oct 7 attack. On May 23, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that Maj Gen Zini would be leaving the military in the coming days and that any discourse between serving soldiers and the government had to be approved by the chief of the general staff, indicating the appointment had been made without its knowledge. Israel's domestic security agency chief Ronen Bar (right) greets leaders of the Druze community during a Holocaust memorial service on April 23. PHOTO: AFP The issue has been one of the most prominent battlegrounds between the government and an array of anti-Netanyahu groups who have attacked him over issues ranging from plans to curb the power of the judiciary to the failure to agree a hostage deal in Gaza. Maj Gen Zini's appointment was condemned by opposition parties and by the attorney-general, Gali Baharav-Miara, who said Mr Netanyahu was acting against legal guidance and that there were serious conflict of interest concerns. Ms Baharav-Miara has herself clashed repeatedly with Mr Netanyahu over the legality of some of his policies and the Cabinet has approved a no-confidence motion. In a sign of how poisoned the political atmosphere has become in Israel, Defence Minister Israel Katz said he had barred opposition politician Yair Golan, a former deputy head of the Israeli military who now leads the small left-wing Democrats party, from serving in the reserves. Mr Golan, who single-handedly rescued people from the Hamas attack on Israel after driving to the scene on Oct 7, 2023, warned this week that Israel risked becoming a "pariah state" over the war in Gaza, and said "a sane country does not fight against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby". Mr Katz said the comments amounted to a "blood libel" and would expose Israeli soldiers to being arrested by international courts when travelling abroad. "I have decided to instruct the IDF not to call Yair Golan up for reserve duty anymore and to prohibit him from wearing the IDF uniform and entering IDF bases," Mr Katz said in a statement. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israeli PM says new intelligence chief to take office next month
By James Mackenzie JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday the newly named head of the domestic intelligence service would take office without delay next month, following a bitter row over the removal of his predecessor. "The Prime Minister is responsible for the security of the state, even more so during a multi-front war," Netanyahu said in a statement, following the appointment of Major General David Zini, head of the military's Training and Doctrine Command as head of the Shin Bet intelligence service. Zini will replace Ronen Bar, who said he would resign on June 15 following a bitter dispute with Netanyahu who tried to sack him in March before the decision was blocked by a Supreme Court temporary injunction. Last month the Supreme Court ruled that the dismissal was illegal but Bar said he would step down to allow an orderly handover. Netanyahu said when he announced the dismissal in March that he had lost confidence in Bar over Shin Bet's failure to prevent the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. The move drew a furious reaction from critics who said the real reason for Bar's dismissal was an investigation by police and Shin Bet into possible financial ties between a number of close aides of the prime minister and Qatar. The affair sparked large demonstrations in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem by protesters who said Netanyahu was undermining democracy by trying to sack Bar while the so-called "Qatargate" investigation was underway. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court ruled that Bar's dismissal was done in violation of the law, and that Netanyahu had a conflict of interest over the Qatargate investigation. Bar had always accepted responsibility for Shin Bet's failure in forestalling the October 7 attacks and had said he would leave his post early. Netanyahu said any delay in appointing a new head of the agency, which conducts counterterrorism investigations, was a "security requirement of the highest order, any delay harms the security of the state and the security of our soldiers". MILITARY The standoff over the head of Shin Bet followed more than two years of hostility between Netanyahu supporters and elements of the security and defence establishment that was worsened by blame over the failures that allowed Hamas' October 7 attack. On Friday, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that Zini would be leaving the military in the coming days and that any discourse between serving soldiers and the government had to be approved by the chief of the general staff, indicating the appointment had been made without its knowledge. The issue has been one of the most prominent battlegrounds between the government and an array of anti-Netanyahu groups who have attacked him over issues ranging from plans to curb the power of the judiciary to the failure to agree a hostage deal in Gaza. Zini's appointment was condemned by opposition parties and by the attorney general, Gali Baharav-Miara, who said Netanyahu was acting against legal guidance and that there were serious conflict of interest concerns. Baharav-Miara has herself clashed repeatedly with Netanyahu over the legality of some of his policies and the cabinet has approved a no-confidence motion. In a sign of how poisoned the political atmosphere has become in Israel, Defence Minister Israel Katz said he had barred opposition politician Yair Golan, a former deputy head of the Israeli military who now leads the small left-wing Democrats party, from serving in the reserves. Golan, who single-handedly rescued people from the Hamas attack on Israel after driving to the scene on October 7, 2023, warned this week that Israel risked becoming a "pariah state" over the war in Gaza, and said "a sane country does not fight against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby". Katz said the comments amounted to a "blood libel" and would expose Israeli soldiers to being arrested by international courts when travelling abroad. "I have decided to instruct the IDF not to call Yair Golan up for reserve duty anymore and to prohibit him from wearing the IDF uniform and entering IDF bases," Katz said in a statement.
Al Jazeera
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Netanyahu accuses Israel's opposition of fuelling ‘anarchy'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused the opposition of fuelling 'anarchy' in Israel, after mass antigovernment protests in recent days, while the opposition leader Yair Lapid has called for a 'revolt' if the government refuses to accept verdicts issued by the country's Supreme Court. Addressing the opposition during a speech in parliament on Wednesday, Netanyahu said, 'You recycle the same worn-out and ridiculous slogans about 'the end of democracy'. Well, once and for all: Democracy is not in danger, it is the power of the bureaucrats that is in danger.' 'Perhaps you could stop putting spanners in the works of the government in the middle of a war? Perhaps you could stop fuelling the sedition, hatred and anarchy in the streets?' he added. Thousands of Israelis have taken part in several days of antigovernment protests, accusing Netanyahu of undermining democracy by removing Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet internal security agency and resuming strikes in Gaza without any regard for captives held in the besieged enclave. Netanyahu is locked in a battle with the Shin Bet chief, who is running a bribery investigation into the prime minister's office, citing a lack of 'trust'. The two men have been at loggerheads, fuelled by bitter recriminations over the failure to prevent the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks on southern Israel. The demonstrations, which erupted last week, have been organised by a broad coalition of anti-Netanyahu groups who say the Israeli leader is trying to stay in power at any cost. The Supreme Court froze Bar's dismissal after several appeals were filed, including by opposition leader Yair Lapid's centre-right Yesh Atid party. The opposition's appeal highlighted what critics see as the two main reasons Netanyahu moved against Bar. The first was his criticism of the government over the security failure that allowed Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, the deadliest day in the country's history. The second was what the opposition appeal said was a Shin Bet investigation into Netanyahu's close associates on suspicion of receiving money linked to Qatar. Netanyahu's office has dismissed the accusations as 'fake news'. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called for a 'revolt' against the government of Netanyahu if it refused to accept verdicts issued by the country's Supreme Court. 'A government that doesn't obey the court is a criminal government that should not be obeyed,' Lapid told local radio 103FM. 'If the government does not comply with the Supreme Court, we must shut down the country, and that would be the end of everything.' Israel's cabinet also passed a vote of no confidence on Sunday against the country's attorney general, Baharav-Miara, the first step in a process to dismiss her. Netanyahu's office pointed to 'significant and prolonged differences between the government and the government's legal adviser,' a key part of the attorney general's job. Following the Supreme Court's initial ruling in the Bar case, Baharav-Miara said Netanyahu could not name a new internal security chief and was 'prohibited to take any action that harms' his position.
