Israeli Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli’s reaction to Zohran Mamdani’s election as mayor of New York offers a textbook example of the West’s moral misunderstanding of Muslims. Chikli wasn’t expressing a uniquely Israeli anxiety. His warning – “New York is walking with open eyes into the abyss that London already fell into” – echoes the same far-right rhetoric we heard when Sadiq Khan won the mayoralty of London.

Yet nothing collapsed. London preserved its multicultural fabric, embracing nearly every faith. Khan never claimed to represent only the city’s Muslims. The same will happen with Mamdani. New York will not fall into any abyss, just as London didn’t. And Donald Trump’s declaration that any Jewish voter supporting Mamdani is “a fool” will dissolve into toxic dust floating above the American political landscape.

Mamdani’s victory – alongside at least 38 other Muslim candidates elected to various state and municipal offices – signals a deeper shift. Muslims are no longer on the margins of American cities; they are shaping them, competing for their highest offices, and redefining civic identity.

His boldness and refusal to engage in divisive debates define his........

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