Mayor-elect walks back earlier boycott calls while maintaining Palestine solidarity, signaling nuance on complex institutional relationships
Evolution and Clarification of Position
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has substantially walked back previous support for boycotting Cornell Tech over its partnership with Technion–Israel Institute of Technology. According to reporting in the Cornell Daily Sun, Mamdani in 2020 discussed applying Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement logic to the Cornell-Technion collaboration, citing Technion’s ties to the Israeli Defense Forces. When questioned as mayor-elect about whether he currently supports such a boycott, Mamdani declined to endorse the position.
The 2020 Podcast Controversy
During an appearance on “Talking Palestine” podcast hosted by democratic socialist Sumaya Awad in 2020, shortly after Mamdani won election to the New York State Assembly, he stated that applying BDS framework would necessarily include examining Cornell-Technion. He specifically referenced potential municipal and state subsidies benefiting the Roosevelt Island project, suggesting government resources should not flow to partnerships connected to Israeli military institutions.
Mamdani’s language reflected mainstream BDS activist discourse, which positions Israeli military-connected institutions as targets for economic pressure and divestment campaigns. Technion’s documented partnerships with the Advanced Defense Research Institute and connections to the Israeli Defense Forces provided factual basis for such concern.
Current Position and Nuance
When confronted directly at a November press conference about whether he currently supports boycotting Cornell Tech, Mamdani declined to commit to the position. Asked whether he had ever supported such boycott, Mamdani appeared to suggest he does not believe Cornell Tech itself applies to municipal policy matters. This represents significant modulation from his 2020 statements.
The Partnership for New York City’s president and CEO Kathryn Wylde publicly stated that she has discussed the matter with Mamdani twice and has no concerns about his opposition to boycotting Cornell Tech. Wylde emphasized that the Partnership–which supports Cornell Tech’s mission of making New York City a technology hub–does not view this as potential issue. Her statement suggests Mamdani has satisfied major business stakeholders regarding his position.
Continuing Palestine Solidarity
Mamdani’s shift on Cornell Tech does not indicate abandonment of Palestine solidarity activism. The mayor-elect has continued voicing strong support for Palestine and has promoted both economic and academic boycotts against Israel, including state legislation threatening to strip New York nonprofits of tax-exempt status if their funds supported Israel’s military and settlement activity.
The distinction Mamdani appears to draw is between direct institutional involvement in Israeli military infrastructure versus broader support for academic-research partnerships. Cornell Tech, despite Technion connections, operates as private educational institution receiving substantial private funding and demonstrating significant economic impact on New York City through startup creation and job development.
Economic Impact Arguments
Cornell University emphasized Cornell Tech’s economic contributions to New York City in responses to questions about the partnership. The program has launched nearly 130 tech ventures collectively valued at $830 million, with 94 percent remaining based in New York City and generating employment. This economic case appears to have influenced Mamdani’s recalibration–or at least provided political cover for moderating his position.
As mayor, Mamdani gains power to nominate individuals to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation board, the public-benefit organization overseeing Cornell Tech. Rather than using this power to obstruct the partnership, Mamdani’s current position suggests he will allow the collaboration to proceed while potentially influencing governance through board appointments.
The Cornell YDSA Challenge
Not all progressive voices have moved rightward on the question. Cornell Young Democratic Socialists of America has condemned “Cornell Tech’s involvement with the ongoing genocide in Palestine” and called for the university to cease cooperation supporting “the Israeli occupation and genocide.” This position represents what Mamdani held in 2020, suggesting his evolution reflects mayoral office calculation rather than ideological conversion.
Hannah Shvets, a democratic socialist elected to the Ithaca Common Council, has noted the importance of holding university partnerships accountable to ethical standards. The student activism around Cornell-Technion indicates ongoing debate within democratic socialist circles about what solidarity with Palestine entails in practice.
Institutional Relationships and Power
Mamdani’s position shift illustrates challenges of transforming ideological commitments into governance practice. As mayor controlling nomination power over RIOC, Mamdani confronts tradeoffs between symbolic protest and economic development priorities. Cornell Tech’s contribution to New York City’s technology sector and job creation arguably constitutes greater impact on residents’ lives than symbolic boycott participation.
The outcome suggests Mamdani’s practical approach to governance may moderate some activist positions while maintaining broader commitments to Palestinian rights. Whether this constitutes pragmatic maturity or compromising principle remains disputed–the answer likely depends on one’s analysis of whether institutional participation requires symbolic purity or whether working within power structures to achieve maximum benefit for constituents represents more sophisticated strategy.
