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The mayor-elect chastised a synagogue that hosted an event promoting migration to Israel and settlements in occupied territories. His stance further tested his strained relationship with pro-Israel Jews.

Mr. Mamdani, the mayor-elect, responded the next day, saying through a spokeswoman that he “discouraged the language” used at the protest and that New Yorkers must be “free to enter a house of worship without intimidation.”

But it was what he said next that alarmed some Jewish leaders: He chastised the synagogue, saying through his spokeswoman that “these sacred spaces should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law.”

(Bloomberg) -- New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has selected several corporate executives to join his transition team as the democratic socialist seeks to mollify concerns his policies might harm the city’s business community.

Among those chosen to help in his move to City Hall are former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. partner Margaret Anadu, developer Jed Walentas and Kathy Wylde, head of the Partnership for New York City. Wylde and Anadu will serve on the Committee on Economic Development & Workforce Development, and Walentas will join the Committee on Housing, according to a statement from Mamdani’s transition team on Monday.

Walentas, the Brooklyn developer behind the revamp of the Domino Sugar Refinery, had spoken with Mamdani before the election as part of a charm offensive by the candidate to reassure business leaders who were wary of the 34-year-old’s policies. The incoming mayor, who takes office on Jan. 1, ran on a pledge to freeze rents and provide free childcare and bus service, and promised to pay for his programs with a tax on corporations and the wealthy.

A major defence partnership signed by the US and Saudi Arabia is expected to fast-track arms sales to the kingdom, of which the F-35 warplane is just one component, current and former US officials told Middle East Eye on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"The conversation has changed from 'we will see' to 'yes, but how and when'," one person familiar with the deal said. The White House announced on Tuesday that US President Donald Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed a new Strategic Defence Agreement (SDA).

The details are being hammered out by officials in the US government. A former senior US official familiar with the ongoing process confirmed to MEE that the agreement will put Saudi Arabia far ahead of other Gulf states and US partners in terms of wait times and negotiations for sophisticated US weapons.

"The Saudis have received Trump's go-ahead to get the best in defence technology," the former official said.

By MEE staff
Published date: 18 November 2025 21:54 GMT

Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday announced that he is designating the Muslim Brotherhood as well as the Council on American Islamic Relations (Cair) - the largest civil liberties group for American Muslims - as both foreign terrorist organisations and transnational criminal organisations.

As a result, both groups would be barred "from purchasing or acquiring land" in the state of Texas, Abbott said.

The proclamation gives the state's attorney general leeway to sue the groups accordingly.

A federal court on Tuesday blocked Texas from using a redrawn U.S. House map that touched off a nationwide redistricting battle and is a major piece of President Donald Trump’s efforts to preserve a slim Republican majority ahead of the 2026 elections.

The ruling is a blow to Trump’s rush to create a more favorable political landscape for Republicans in next year’s midterms, at least for now. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vowed a swift appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court and defended the map that was engineered to give Republicans five additional House seats.

But in a 2-1 ruling, a panel of federal judges in El Paso sided with opponents who argued that Texas’ unusual summer redrawing of congressional districts would harm Black and Hispanic residents. The decision was authored by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown, who was nominated to the bench by Trump during his first term.