Mamdani Draws Anger With Oct. 7 Statement Focused on Palestinians

Covered by The New York Times, Aol and 5 more since

  • Israel
  • Hamas
  • Gaza City
  • Gaza Strip
  • Benjamin Netanyahu
  • Jews
  • New York City
  • Zohran Mamdani
New York City Hall at dusk, its columned facade lit against a blue sky, with a few distant figures crossing the plaza under autumn trees.

What happened

On the third anniversary of Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted a statement that briefly mourned the Israeli victims and mostly accused Israel of an "ongoing genocide" in Gaza. Democratic members of Congress, Republican leaders, Jewish groups and Israeli officials condemned it. On Thursday, Mamdani stood by his words.

Summary

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani marked the third anniversary of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack with a Wednesday post on X. He called it a "profoundly painful" day for many New Yorkers and noted that Hamas killed more than 1,100 Israelis and abducted 251. Most of the statement, though, focused on Gaza. He accused Israel of "war crimes" and an "ongoing genocide" that he said has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians. That figure comes from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry. He also faulted the federal government for continuing to ship arms to Israel. Israel rejects the genocide accusation and says its military targets Hamas. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

The pushback crossed party lines. Several Democratic members of Congress objected, including Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Jared Moskowitz of Florida, Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey and Daniel Goldman of New York, who called the post "reprehensible." Republican leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, also criticized it. Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt wrote that "not once do you say 'Jews.'" U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Israeli diplomats Danny Danon and Ofir Akunis joined in, along with Jewish community leaders in New York. The Washington Post reported that most high-profile New York Democrats stayed out of the dispute. [2] [3] [5] [6]

On Thursday, Mamdani declined to take anything back. "I believe that there must be room to mourn every single life," he told reporters. He said he put more weight on Palestinian deaths because that suffering is ongoing. On the anniversary itself, he attended a vigil honoring both Israeli and Palestinian lives, where people on both sides heckled him. He later met with Palestinian activists. Amy Spitalnick of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, who has worked with his administration, praised his policies but said his words can leave Jewish supporters feeling unseen. Mamdani says criticizing Israel's government is different from antisemitism. [1] [2] [3] [5]

Summary written by Vox Populi News from the 7 sources below. See all sources

Key questions

What did Mamdani's Oct. 7 statement say?

It recognized Hamas' attack, which he said killed more than 1,100 Israelis, as a "horrific" war crime. Most of it accused Israel of an "ongoing genocide" in Gaza and criticized U.S. arms shipments to Israel. [2] [3] [4] [6]

Did Mamdani apologize or walk back the statement?

No. On Thursday he repeatedly declined to say he would change anything, saying there must be "room to mourn every single life." [1] [3] [5]

Who criticized Mamdani's statement?

Critics included several Democratic members of Congress, Republican leaders such as House Speaker Mike Johnson, the Anti-Defamation League, the Israeli-American Council, Ambassador Mike Huckabee and Israeli diplomats. [2] [5] [6]

Sources 7

  1. 1The New York Times

    Video: Mamdani Responds to Backlash After Attending Oct. 7 Vigil

    Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York City responded to the backlash he received after attending a vigil that marked the third anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks.

    Read on The New York Times (opens in a new tab)
  2. 2Aol

    Mamdani criticized for statement mourning Oct. 7 and condemning Israel

    A statement by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani that recognized three years since Hamas' "horrific" attack on Israel -- and extensively criticized Israel's "ongoing genocide" in the Gaza Strip --…

    Joe Walsh

    Read on Aol (opens in a new tab)
  3. 3Fox News

    Mamdani doubles down on anti-Israel Oct 7 statement after backlash

    The New York City mayor declined to walk back his October 7 statement that sparked anger in the Jewish community New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani doubled down on his October 7 statement accusing…

    Anders Hagstrom

    Read on Fox News (opens in a new tab)
  4. 4New York Post

    NYC Mayor Mamdani uses 3rd anniversary of Oct. 7 atrocity to attack Israel for 'ongoing genocide'

    Mayor Zohran Mamdani sparked outrage Wednesday by using the third anniversary of the Oct.

    Craig McCarthy, Patrick Reilly

    Read on New York Post (opens in a new tab)
  5. 5Washington Post

    Outcry over Mamdani's Oct. 7 actions show land mines for the left

    NEW YORK -- Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday stood by a social media post about Hamas's 2023 invasion of Israel that enraged segments of the Jewish community and unnerved some Democrats ahead of the…

    Teo Armus, Tim Craig, Michelle Boorstein

    Read on Washington Post (opens in a new tab)
  6. 6Newsweek

    Israeli-American Council slams Mamdani's Oct. 7 statement

    New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani faced sharp criticism on Wednesday after marking the third anniversary of Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel with a statement that mourned victims while also…

    Amanda Castro

    Read on Newsweek (opens in a new tab)
  7. 7The Wall Street Journal

    Opinion | Celebrating Hamas on Oct. 7

    Zorhan Mamdani and others use the anniversary of the massacre to blame the Jews. Zohran Mamdani, the mayor of New York, used Oct. 7, 2026, the same way he used Oct.

    Editorial Board

    Read on The Wall Street Journal (opens in a new tab)