The Significance of Zahran Mamdani's Victory

Many Palestinians were impressed by Zahran Mamdani's election as the Mayor of New York City, considering it a well-deserved victory, to the point of exaggeration and glorification, or viewing it as a political shift or a significant transformation within the United States in translating changes in public opinion toward the Palestinian issue. Others regarded it as a profound change within the Democratic Party in the United States that could influence political and strategic positions should they attain control of the U.S. administration in the future. In my view, the joy and glorification associated with this victory achieved by Mamdani reflect the weakness of the Palestinian and Arab self that sees the victory of others in different contexts, goals, and purposes as a win for them, or as an expression of the joy of the "vengeance" of victims in witnessing an adversary's loss at the hands of another person, or the joy of ideologues who stray far into a shift towards socialism in a capitalist city or beyond in the dynamics of relationships within the bustling city. The change in electoral behavior that occurred in New York City should be understood within the local contexts of this open and multi-ethnic city, which is also increasingly costly to live in, alongside the ongoing generational conflict occurring in local and regional positions within the United States. This state and urban area are the closest to the Democratic Party. However, conversely, there are currents, centers of influence, mechanisms, and tools within the city and throughout the United States that oppose this change, meaning that it cannot be decisively characterized as a transformation. Instead, it can be described as a dynamic parallel "status quo" involving a conflict between two groups of forces operating in opposite directions in the material, social, and psychological fields; one group contains a driving force while the opposing group contains a restraining force. The usual development of social and political issues in stable nations takes time and requires ongoing efforts in various ways to strengthen the driving group for change with the aim of achieving a transformation in American politics, which are essentially internal factors but are also influenced by some external factors. In my opinion, Zahran Mamdani's victory is an indication of a signal that could strengthen or become influential with the ongoing changes in American public opinion, but it does not bring about an immediate shift in the political positions of the United States. Conversely, Mamdani's victory should serve as an inspiration for the youth, showing them that they have the potential to defeat the elders not only through physical capability but also through the ability to innovate and devise means of communication with the public in both technical and traditional ways. It should also inspire Arab and Islamic nations to accept ethnic, gender, and cultural diversity and to accept religious, political, and ideological differences in service of the community and the state.