Mamdani and the Israel Test of the Democratic Party

This article was written published by the Jerusalem Post, written by Adam Milstein.

Among the members of the American Islamo-leftist alliance, New York Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani is widely viewed as a rising star and likely the next mayor of America’s largest city. But his ascent should alarm anyone who still believes in the foundational principles of the Democratic Party and the health of America’s political system. Mamdani reflects the slippery slope direction the party is headed for, if it doesn’t change course very soon.

Mamdani is a self-described Democratic Socialist who supports turning New York’s grocery stores into government-run institutions, eliminating fares on public transit, defunding the police, and implementing permanent rent freezes. His economic agenda bears more resemblance to failed communist regimes than any credible American policy tradition.

In addition to these myopic policies, his moral standing is dubious. Mamdani refuses to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, has declined to condemn slogans like “globalize the intifada,” which calls for religious motivated violence against Western European countries and America, and regularly aligns himself with radical voices that celebrate antisemitic incitement and terror.

This combination of ideological extremism and moral confusion is now a commonplace within the Democratic Party. Once the party of working-class pragmatists and Cold War liberals, the Democrats are now increasingly defined by radical activists and elected officials who view America and its allies not as forces for good, but as sources of global injustice. The party’s language of equity and anti-colonialism has become a cover for what is, at its core, a dangerous and deeply illiberal worldview hostile to economic freedom and basic moral clarity.

An extreme ideology can overlook its lack of popular appeal. As evidenced by recent polling, the Democratic Party’s radical left shift is not popular with most of the American voters. A Quinnipiac poll from July 10‑14 found just 19% of registered voters approve of Congressional Democrats, the lowest in Quinnipiac history, which began in 2009. Views on the Party are hardly better, a CNN survey shows just 28% of Americans view the Democratic Party favorably, the lowest since 1992. Across multiple outlets, Democratic popularity is the lowest in decades, demonstrating a self-inflicted wound by party leadership.

Whether they recognize it or not, the Democratic Party is continuing to undergo the Israel test, as laid out by Professor George Gilder in his 2009 book by the same name. Per Gilder, Israel embodies the triumph of democracy, decency, creativity, and grit. Historically, countries who have endorsed Israel and the expansive worldview it represents have thrived, while those who didn’t remained mired in poverty and violence. The reason? Perspective on Israel is more than just a foreign policy issue; rather, it reflects an ethos. Abandoning Israel is like abandoning democracy.

As the Democratic Party has increasingly become hostile to Israel, it has simultaneously radicalized on domestic policy. The Democratic Party is increasingly failing the “Israel Test” because their ideology is fundamentally at odds with the values that made America and their own party historically strong.

After years of ideological indoctrination by foreign powers, Democrats are increasingly viewing Israel not as a trusted ally but as an oppressor, colonizer, and occupier that threatens minority communities rather than standing with them. Democratic voters’ views on Israel now mirror the stance of their elected leaders. According to a recent Gallup poll, only 33% of Democrats view Israel favorably, a stunning drop from 63% just three years ago. Meanwhile, 45% view the Palestinian territories favorably. This inversion of moral judgment is not the result of careful analysis or principled foreign policy debate. It’s the result of ideological capture. It’s based on a blunt worldview that instinctively sides with those who claim to be oppressed, regardless of nuance, truth or values.

National figures like Senator Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez routinely embrace this radical realignment. After President Trump provided critical support to Israel during its June 2025 war with Iran, Sanders introduced the “No War Against Iran Act” and AOC called for Trump’s impeachment. Their actions were not based on any unlawful activity, but apparently because aiding Israel, in their view, constituted significant wrongdoings. In today’s left, if a policy is associated with Israel, it must be dogmatically rejected out of hand, regardless of merit.

Historically, the Democratic Party has been a steadfast supporter of Israel—from President Truman becoming the first world leader to recognize the new state to President Obama’s support of the Iron Dome. Today, however, a growing vocal far-left faction of the Democratic Party, threatens that status quo. They embrace the Palestinians’ narrative of eternal victimhood and promote the antisemitic idea that all of Israel’s success is born of its original sin and therefore must be dismantled. The radical left never misses an opportunity to snub the Jews and vilify the Jewish state. True to The Israel Test’s thesis, this attitude has not been relegated to criticism of Israel, but rather has evolved into a politics of victimhood, a self-loathing of America.

Dogmatic viewpoints reduce complex issues to slogans, demand ideological purity and punish dissent. The party of Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson was built on the idea that democracy is worth defending and that American power is a force for good. Today, too many Democratic leaders eschew that legacy.

As the Democratic Party indulges fringe ideologies and abandons its historic commitments, it sends dangerous signals to America’s adversaries like China, Russia and Iran that our country is too demoralized to lead. It creates openings for foreign influence campaigns, social media manipulation and ideological subversion.

The Democrats are at a tipping point. They can double down on radicalism and watch their approval sink further or they can develop a clear agenda that passes the Israel Test. They can adopt a moral and rational view on internal affairs and foreign policy. They can embrace, rather than abandon, the liberal democratic values that once grounded the party.

The Democratic Party now faces an important test. Where will it stand when it comes to continuing America’s longstanding, bipartisan support for Israel? Will it banish the far-left voices spewing hatred of the Jewish State? Or will these voices eventually become the party’s mainstream? The answer will determine not only the party’s cohesiveness, but its viability in American politics.Among the members of the American Islamo-leftist alliance, New York Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani is widely viewed as a rising star and likely the next mayor of America’s largest city. But his ascent should alarm anyone who still believes in the foundational principles of the Democratic Party and the health of America’s political system. Mamdani reflects the slippery slope direction the party is headed for, if it doesn’t change course very soon.

Mamdani is a self-described Democratic Socialist who supports turning New York’s grocery stores into government-run institutions, eliminating fares on public transit, defunding the police, and implementing permanent rent freezes. His economic agenda bears more resemblance to failed communist regimes than any credible American policy tradition.

In addition to these myopic policies, his moral standing is dubious. Mamdani refuses to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, has declined to condemn slogans like “globalize the intifada,” which calls for religious motivated violence against Western European countries and America, and regularly aligns himself with radical voices that celebrate antisemitic incitement and terror.

This combination of ideological extremism and moral confusion is now a commonplace within the Democratic Party. Once the party of working-class pragmatists and Cold War liberals, the Democrats are now increasingly defined by radical activists and elected officials who view America and its allies not as forces for good, but as sources of global injustice. The party’s language of equity and anti-colonialism has become a cover for what is, at its core, a dangerous and deeply illiberal worldview hostile to economic freedom and basic moral clarity.

An extreme ideology can overlook its lack of popular appeal. As evidenced by recent polling, the Democratic Party’s radical left shift is not popular with most of the American voters. A Quinnipiac poll from July 10‑14 found just 19% of registered voters approve of Congressional Democrats, the lowest in Quinnipiac history, which began in 2009. Views on the Party are hardly better, a CNN survey shows just 28% of Americans view the Democratic Party favorably, the lowest since 1992. Across multiple outlets, Democratic popularity is the lowest in decades, demonstrating a self-inflicted wound by party leadership.

Whether they recognize it or not, the Democratic Party is continuing to undergo the Israel test, as laid out by Professor George Gilder in his 2009 book by the same name. Per Gilder, Israel embodies the triumph of democracy, decency, creativity, and grit. Historically, countries who have endorsed Israel and the expansive worldview it represents have thrived, while those who didn’t remained mired in poverty and violence. The reason? Perspective on Israel is more than just a foreign policy issue; rather, it reflects an ethos. Abandoning Israel is like abandoning democracy.

As the Democratic Party has increasingly become hostile to Israel, it has simultaneously radicalized on domestic policy. The Democratic Party is increasingly failing the “Israel Test” because their ideology is fundamentally at odds with the values that made America and their own party historically strong.

After years of ideological indoctrination by foreign powers, Democrats are increasingly viewing Israel not as a trusted ally but as an oppressor, colonizer, and occupier that threatens minority communities rather than standing with them. Democratic voters’ views on Israel now mirror the stance of their elected leaders. According to a recent Gallup poll, only 33% of Democrats view Israel favorably, a stunning drop from 63% just three years ago. Meanwhile, 45% view the Palestinian territories favorably. This inversion of moral judgment is not the result of careful analysis or principled foreign policy debate. It’s the result of ideological capture. It’s based on a blunt worldview that instinctively sides with those who claim to be oppressed, regardless of nuance, truth or values.

National figures like Senator Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez routinely embrace this radical realignment. After President Trump provided critical support to Israel during its June 2025 war with Iran, Sanders introduced the “No War Against Iran Act” and AOC called for Trump’s impeachment. Their actions were not based on any unlawful activity, but apparently because aiding Israel, in their view, constituted significant wrongdoings. In today’s left, if a policy is associated with Israel, it must be dogmatically rejected out of hand, regardless of merit.

Historically, the Democratic Party has been a steadfast supporter of Israel—from President Truman becoming the first world leader to recognize the new state to President Obama’s support of the Iron Dome. Today, however, a growing vocal far-left faction of the Democratic Party, threatens that status quo. They embrace the Palestinians’ narrative of eternal victimhood and promote the antisemitic idea that all of Israel’s success is born of its original sin and therefore must be dismantled. The radical left never misses an opportunity to snub the Jews and vilify the Jewish state. True to The Israel Test’s thesis, this attitude has not been relegated to criticism of Israel, but rather has evolved into a politics of victimhood, a self-loathing of America.

Dogmatic viewpoints reduce complex issues to slogans, demand ideological purity and punish dissent. The party of Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson was built on the idea that democracy is worth defending and that American power is a force for good. Today, too many Democratic leaders eschew that legacy.

As the Democratic Party indulges fringe ideologies and abandons its historic commitments, it sends dangerous signals to America’s adversaries like China, Russia and Iran that our country is too demoralized to lead. It creates openings for foreign influence campaigns, social media manipulation and ideological subversion.

The Democrats are at a tipping point. They can double down on radicalism and watch their approval sink further or they can develop a clear agenda that passes the Israel Test. They can adopt a moral and rational view on internal affairs and foreign policy. They can embrace, rather than abandon, the liberal democratic values that once grounded the party.

The Democratic Party now faces an important test. Where will it stand when it comes to continuing America’s longstanding, bipartisan support for Israel? Will it banish the far-left voices spewing hatred of the Jewish State? Or will these voices eventually become the party’s mainstream? The answer will determine not only the party’s cohesiveness, but its viability in American politics.