New York City Comptroller Mark Levine has backed away from a campaign commitment to reinvest city funds in Israeli government bonds, saying the decision was driven by financial considerations and technical challenges.

Levine, who is Jewish and has described himself as a supporter of Israel, told The New York Times that politics played no role in the decision. “I always said this would be based on financial considerations only, not politics,” he said, maintaining that his position had not changed.

The decision received a public endorsement from Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who argued that the city should not purchase bonds issued by any foreign government. Mamdani said New York should apply the same policy to Israel as it does to other sovereign nations. Of course, this has absolutely nothing to do with hatred for the only Jewish state.

The move marks a shift from Levine’s position during the June 2025 Democratic primary, when he argued that Israeli bonds belonged in the city’s diversified investment portfolio and pointed to their decades-long record of returns. As comptroller, Levine oversees roughly $325 billion in city pension assets.

Former Comptroller Scott Stringer, who expanded the city’s Israeli bond holdings during his tenure, criticized the reversal, describing the bonds as a sound investment. He warned that the decision could strengthen the BDS movement and contribute to an environment of increased antisemitism.

Dov Hikind also condemned Levine’s decision, accusing him in a social media post of giving in to pressure from the Democratic Party’s far-left wing.

The issue follows a previous divestment decision by former Comptroller Brad Lander, who withdrew approximately $40 million in Israeli bonds that the city had held since the 1970s. New York State’s pension system, meanwhile, maintains more than $360 million invested in Israel, according to the figures cited in the report.

Levine’s office emphasized that the city’s investment decisions are made to protect the interests of municipal workers and retirees. A spokesperson said the city’s pension systems continue to hold approximately $285.42 million in Israeli public equities and fixed-income investments through their broader portfolios.

Shame on you Comptroller Levine and shame on you Mayor Mandani.

NYC Comptroller Mark Levine:

“Israel bonds have never missed a payment in 70 years, ever, not once.”

“By the way, we’ve had no protesting about our investments in Saudi Arabia, our investments in Pakistan or China, only this one little, tiny sliver.” https://t.co/H7frhOR6bg

— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) October 15, 2026

🇺🇸🇮🇱 Mamdani says New York shouldn’t be buying Israeli government bonds.

His reasoning? NYC doesn’t buy bonds from other sovereign countries, so why make an exception for Israel?

He’s backing Comptroller Mark Levine’s decision not to reinvest.

And here’s the interesting part: Levine had actually promised to invest in Israeli bonds during his campaign.

I wonder why he changed course 🤔

Writer: Lynn

https://t.co/UYpwl8yZFr

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 14, 2026