NEW YORK — Investments in Israeli government bonds have emerged as a significant fault line between New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the city’s comptroller, Mark Levine.

Levine and Mamdani have long held opposing positions on the bond investments, but the potential dispute came into focus this week, as each took opposite sides on the issue in public statements, just a few weeks into their terms.

Mamdani is a far-left anti-Zionist, and Levine is a Jewish centrist who often greets crowds in Hebrew at Jewish community events. As comptroller, he serves as the city’s financial watchdog. The position is seen as the second-highest role in the city government.

Levine said last week that he intends to resume the city pension funds’ investment in the bonds. His predecessor, Brad Lander, had decided against reinvesting in the bonds after they reached maturity.

“Israeli bonds had been part of the portfolio for decades,” Levine told The City in an interview last week. The city had held Israel bonds since the 1970s.

Levine has also backed investing in the bonds in other recent statements, defending the bonds as a solid investment that the city has profited from for decades.

Mamdani, a longtime supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement targeting Israel, came out in opposition to Levine during a Wednesday press conference.

“I don’t think we should purchase Israel bonds,” Mamdani said. “We don’t purchase bonds for any other sovereign nation’s debt and the comptroller has also made his position clear and I continue to stand by........

© The Times of Israel