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New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's statement on the third anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 sparked controversy on Wednesday and was viewed millions of times on social media.
Mamdani has been a long-time critic of Israel and has been particularly critical of Israel's treatment of Palestinians since the 2023 attacks.
But he faced a particularly harsh reaction due to his comments on the anniversary. Critics said Wednesday was an occasion when elected leaders should avoid divisive rhetoric.
Mamdani began his statement by condemning the Hamas attack as a horrific war crime, but then spent most of his statement characterizing Israel's military campaign as genocide.
What did Mamdani say?
He wrote about October 7, 2023, "This day is extremely painful for many New Yorkers. It has been three years since the horrific war crimes of October 7. On that day, Hamas killed more than 1,100 Israelis and abducted 251 others. We join in mourning with our many friends and neighbors who are still suffering the pain of that unimaginable loss. "
"This suffering did not begin on that day, nor did it end on that day. Instead, it continued as a devastating massacre by the Israeli government in Gaza, killing more than 74,000 Palestinians, including more than 21,000 children. Even after the so-called ceasefire, more than 1,400 Palestinians have been killed.
“This pain deepens with every Israeli bomb that is dropped on ambulances waiting outside hospitals, with every drone strike that targets a residential building or a journalist, and with every aid consignment that is turned back from across the border. Many New Yorkers are struggling with this unbearable pain and we join them in mourning. "Despite knowing that our tax dollars finance these war crimes."
Three years later, we must refuse to accept a world in which occupation and apartheid continue, no one goes unpunished for war crimes, and our federal government continues to be complicit in every arms shipment. To honor the dead, we must fight for a world in which every person can live in freedom, security and dignity.
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On Mamdani's post, Ben Shapiro, co-founder of Daily Wire and host of the political podcast Ben Shapiro Show, has written, ""49 words in tribute to the Jews murdered on October 7." 141 words about how Israel is responsible for everything and the only answer is to hand more power, money and authority to those who want to destroy Israel.""
Nikki Haley, who was America's top diplomat at the UN during Trump's first term, has also condemned Mamdani's remarks. "You're trying to kiss and slap Israelis at the same time, it's shameful," Nikki Haley wrote on
Nikki Haley has written, "On October 7, Hamas carried out incidents of rape, burning and murder of Israelis and Americans in front of their loved ones. He kidnapped several other people and tortured them for months. No matter how well you try to put it in words, it is anti-Semitism. Israelis have every right to defend themselves. If this had happened in America, believe me, we too would have protected ourselves."
Mamdani's politics
This statement of Mamdani had been viewed more than 1.5 crore times till now. There was a widespread reaction to this and it was criticized even by some Democratic leaders who have different views on this conflict.
Dan Goldman, a Democrat from New York, called it "deeply offensive and outrageous."
"There are 364 days of the year to pay attention to this," Goldman told Politico. "This is a day when attention should be focused solely on what has been recognized by all parties as a horrific terrorist attack."
He said, "The mayor's statement today serves to blame the Israelis for the attack that took place three years ago. Whatever your actual opinion of the conflict and what happened before or after it, there is no justification for blaming the victims."
The arrest warrant of the International Criminal Court regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government's military operation in Gaza is still valid. Israel has denied the charge of committing genocide.
The style of Mamdani's message was completely different from other elected leaders of New York. The rest of the leaders focused only on the events of October 7 and did not mention the events that happened thereafter.
For example, Governor Kathy Hokul mentioned "the strength, perseverance and enduring hope of the Jews" but did not mention the war. City Council Speaker Julie Menin, who is Jewish, took a similar stance. Brad Lander, a prominent Mamdani ally and Jewish progressive Democrat, pointed to the broader implications of October 7, but urged his supporters not to trivialize the suffering of one group over that of another.
Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, told the New York Post: "He's trying to use the only day that should be for the victims and survivors for his agenda. He wants to use this day to talk about attacking Israel. It's like if you start talking about the victims of 9/11 and the Al-Qaeda terrorists. Basically, this is an attempt to attack Israel through propaganda on the only day we have for the victims. He is dangerous and cunning. He will attend both ceremonies and try to show that he is saddened by the loss of lives on both sides."
According to exit polls, Mamdani had the support of about one-third of New York's Jewish voters if he defeated Andrew Cuomo to become mayor in 2025. He is popular among left-wing Jews, who almost unanimously oppose Israel's actions in Gaza.
Since his college days, Mamdani has been vocal against Israel's treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. During his tenure as a New York Assembly representative and his campaign for mayor, he used language regarding Israel rarely seen before in mainstream New York City politics.
