Key facts
- NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani drew bipartisan backlash for his statement on the third anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.
- Mamdani acknowledged Hamas' attack as a "horrific war crime" but focused on calling Israel's actions in Gaza an "ongoing genocide."
- Mamdani cited over 74,000 Palestinian deaths, including more than 21,000 children, in Gaza.
- Jewish groups and several Democratic lawmakers criticized Mamdani's statement as divisive and offensive.
- Critics accused Mamdani of blaming victims and exploiting the anniversary for political attacks.
- Mamdani is scheduled to attend a vigil and meet with Palestinian New Yorkers.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani ignited a firestorm of criticism from Jewish groups and several Democratic lawmakers with his statement commemorating the third anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. Mamdani's remarks, which garnered millions of views on social media, acknowledged the Hamas attack as a "horrific war crime" but dedicated the majority of his statement to characterizing Israel's subsequent military campaign in Gaza as an "ongoing genocide."
Mamdani stated that the Israeli government had killed more than 74,000 Palestinians, including over 21,000 children, since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. He also called for an end to "occupation and apartheid" and criticized the U.S. government's "complicity with every arms shipment."
The Jewish Community Relations Council responded by saying Mamdani "continues to fall short" of uniting New Yorkers and that it is "shameful" to "pit them against each other."
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, accused Mamdani of "weaponizing" the day meant for mourning and recycling "antizionist talking points." Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, stated that Mamdani's condemnation of Israel was "deeply offensive" and made Jewish New Yorkers less safe.
The Israeli-American Council called Mamdani's "genocide" claim "demonstrably false" and accused him of using a "blood libel" against the Jewish state. Several Democratic lawmakers, including Reps. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), and Dan Goldman (D-NY), also condemned Mamdani's statement, with Moskowitz suggesting the mayor "needs the city’s antisemitism policy for himself."
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo criticized Mamdani for not allowing Jews to mourn and for his "ideological obsession with Israel."
Mamdani is scheduled to attend a vigil commemorating the anniversary and later meet with Palestinian New Yorkers.