New York City Mayoral elect Zohran Mamdani previously called for the boycott of Cornell Tech over its public-private partnership with Technion — Israel Institute of Technology not long after he won a seat in the New York State Assembly in 2020, according to reporting in The New York Post.
As per the reporting, Mamdani allegedly discussed the boycott in a podcast called “Talking Palestine,” hosted by democratic socialist Sumaya Awad, citing Technion’s ties to the Israeli Defense Force in the Israeli-Palestine conflict and weapons development program.
“If you were to look at the lens of [the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement] and how it applies here in New York City, you would say that Cornell-Technion is something you would be talking about,” Mamdani reportedly said on the podcast, according the The New York Post.
“I’m sure that if we look close enough, there are either municipal subsidies or state subsidies granted to a project such as this on Roosevelt Island,” Mamdani said.
As Mayor-elect, Mamdani was asked by the Roosevelt Islander at a press conference whether he “currently support[s] a boycott of Cornell Tech [or if] has he ever supported a boycott [of Cornell Tech].” While Mamdani did not explicitly say he would no longer boycott Cornell Tech, he did not think the partnership was out of compliance with international law.
“Wherever the [Eric] Adams administration and previous administrations have taken us out of compliance with international law, we’ll return the city back into that compliance,” Mamdani said.
Upon further questioning from the reporter, Mamdani elaborated that he does not “think that [Cornell Tech] applies to what the Adam’s administration’s done,” appearing to say that he does not support a boycott of Cornell Tech
When asked about the organization’s knowledge of the matter, Kathryn Wylde, President and CEO of The Partnership for New York City, wrote to The Sun that she has “spoken to Mayor-elect Mamdani twice about this matter … [and] I am not aware of him ever suggesting a boycott of Cornell Technion. I believe this is not an issue that we or the school need to worry about but if it were to become an issue, The Partnership would continue to support the school.” The Partnership for New York City is dedicated to advancing the city’s standing as a global center for economic opportunity — a goal supported by Cornell Tech’s mission to make New York City a global hub for technological advancement.
However, Mamdani has voiced strong support for Palestine as well as supporting economic and academic boycotts against Israel.
Since being elected as Mayor of New York City, Mamdani has the power to nominate individuals to the board of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation — the public-benefit organization responsible for developing programs like Cornell Tech. This gives Mamdani the power to influence the future of the partnership between Cornell and Technion, possibly nominating individuals who oppose Israel.
The Cornell Young Democratic Socialists of America added to his call by condemning “Cornell Tech’s involvement with the ongoing genocide in Palestine,” Cornell YDSA wrote in a statement to The Sun.
“Cornell University and Cornell Tech continue to cooperate and support the Israeli occupation and genocide in Palestine,” Cornell YDSA stated.
Hannah Shvets ’27, a democratic socialist recently elected to the Ithaca Common Council, noted “that as students and community members, we have a responsibility to stay aware of the partnerships our University makes, and hold them accountable when those partnerships go against our ethical standards.”
When asked if Cornell has communicated with Mamdani or if they plan to engage with the Mamdani administration, a University spokesperson did not respond to the question. Instead, the spokesperson wrote that “the enormous success of this academic collaboration [between Cornell University and Technion – Israel Institute of Technology] proves that universities can be powerful economic engines as well and preserve New York City’s status as a global technology leader.”
The spokesperson also did not directly respond to questions about whether Cornell Tech is directly involved with the IDF, given its partnership with Technion — Israel Institute of Technology, which is tied to the organization via the Advanced Defense Research Institute and the Center for Security Science & Technology.
“The program has launched nearly 130 tech ventures, collectively valued at $830 million — and 94 percent of them remain based in New York City creating jobs and contributing to the City's tech ecosystem,” the University spokesperson wrote.
Due to this economic success, the Cornell Spokesperson stated that Cornell Tech expresses its desire to work with Mamdani and “welcomes the opportunity to work with the new administration to help grow this important public-private partnership with New York City.”
Madeleine Naumoff is a member of the Class of 2028 in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. She is a contributor for the News department and can be reached at mn635@cornell.edu.
