Ahead of contentious mayoral vote, Israeli tech leaders ring in New York Stock Exchange

Israeli tech founders ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange less than a week before the city’s mayoral election, in which Zohran Mamdani, who supports the boycott movement against Israel, is leading the polls.

The stock exchange invited the Israeli tech leaders to open the day’s trading, highlighting Israeli businesses’ integration into the city’s economy, organizers say.

The ceremony marks the launch of a new database tracking Israeli startups in New York City by Israeli Mapped in NY, a group that has tracked Israeli business activity in the city since 2013.

The database counts about 450 Israeli-founded startups that are operating in New York City. There are around 80 cybersecurity companies, 50 financial tech firms, and other businesses operating in fields such as digital health and real estate tech, the group says.

Some of the tech leaders at the stock exchange opening included Guy Franklin, head of Israeli Mapped in NY, Noam Schwartz of the cybersecurity firm ActiveFence, Roi Ravhon from Finout, and Gil Geron from Orca.

Mamdani, a harsh critic of Israel, is the heavy favorite to win the November 4 election. His far-left policies and anti-Israel rhetoric have alarmed both Jewish leaders and business communities in the city.

Mamdani is a longtime supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign targeting Israel. He has attacked his leading opponent in the race, the pro-Israel centrist Andrew Cuomo, for passing legislation against BDS while serving as governor.

A report released this week found that Israeli-founded companies have created more than 27,000 jobs in the city, adding an estimated $12.4 billion in value to the city’s economy.