NYC’s Jewish fire commissioner resigns, reportedly over Mamdani’s Israel criticism

New York City Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker announced on Wednesday that he will resign from his position, reportedly due to incoming mayor Zohran Mamdani’s anti-Israel sentiments.

In a statement emailed to media outlets, Tucker, a Jewish philanthropist and businessman who has held the position for about a year, said he will step down on December 19, without giving a reason for his exit.

The New York Post, citing an unnamed source, said that Tucker was concerned about Mamdani’s harsh criticism of Israel. The source reportedly said that Tucker’s support for Israel “does not align with the new mayor.”

“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as the 35th New York City Fire Commissioner,” Tucker said in his statement. “Thank you to Mayor [Eric] Adams for his trust and confidence in doing this job. We empowered the brave men and women who keep our city safe, bringing fire-related deaths to a historic low.”

In a statement responding to the resignation, Mamdani said he would consider all job applicants as long as they agreed with his agenda on affordability, which was at the core of his campaign. While he is a staunch opponent of Israel, he has previously said he would not exclude Zionists from his administration.

“I am willing to consider anyone to work in my City Hall so long as they are committed to working for my administration and to delivering on an agenda to lower costs for New Yorkers in the most expensive city in the United States,” Mamdani said in the statement on Wednesday, according to local reports.

Local publications reported that Tucker was due to fly to Israel on Wednesday to meet with the leadership of the Israel Fire and Rescue Authority.

After he leaves his position, he will return to T&M USA, a private security firm he ran before joining Adams, the Post reported. According to the outlet, the firm, based in New York, is connected to another company in Israel.

The company drew controversy upon news of his appointment last year, as six weeks prior, eight of its employees contributed $200 each to Adams’s reelection campaign on the same day, according to the New York Daily News.

“Commissioner Robert Tucker has led the Fire Department of the City of New York with courage, passion, and a sincere dedication to public safety,” Adams said in his own statement emailed to media outlets. Representatives of firefighters’ associations likewise praised Tucker in statements to the Daily News.

Mamdani, a far-left democratic socialist, sailed to victory on Tuesday over centrist independent Andrew Cuomo, after a campaign that often centered on antisemitism and Israel. Mamdani won about a third of Jewish votes, according to an exit poll, while most Jews in the city voted for Cuomo, following criticism of Mamdani’s anti-Israel activism from a chorus of Jewish leaders and groups.

When he takes office on January 1, Mamdani will become the city’s first Muslim mayor and its youngest leader in generations.

He has acknowledged that many Jews disagree with his stances on Israel and has vowed to fight antisemitism as mayor.

The Daily News also reported that Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Kaz Daughtry is expected to resign before Mamdani takes office, out of concern that his close ties to Adams would make him a bad fit in Mamdani’s City Hall. Daughtry was a key liaison between the Adams administration and US President Donald Trump’s White House.