New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has drawn sharp criticism for his statement on the third anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks, which focused on accusations of Israeli "war crimes" and an "ongoing genocide" in Gaza, rather than solely commemorating the victims of the Hamas assault.
Mamdani's remarks stated that the "suffering did not begin nor end that day," but "continued through the Israeli government’s devastating, ongoing genocide in Gaza." He referenced "every Israeli bomb dropped on ambulances waiting outside hospitals, every drone strike targeting a residential building or journalist, and every shipment of food aid turned away at a border crossing." He added, "Three years later, we must refuse to accept a world in which occupation and apartheid continue, where war crimes are met with impunity, and our federal government continues its complicity with every arms shipment."
The mayor's statement dedicated a small portion to acknowledging that "Hamas killed more than 1,100 Israelis and abducted 251 others" on Oct. 7, 2023. This approach was met with outrage from critics who felt he was hijacking the day meant to honor the victims.
"What he is trying to do is hijack the only day we have for the victims and survivors. He’s trying to hijack the day to talk about attacking Israel," said Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon. "He’s dangerous and sophisticated. He will go to both ceremonies and try to say he feels for both losses of life."
Mesneshe Shapiro, a former adviser to Mamdani's predecessor, former Mayor Eric Adams, described Mamdani's statement as "incitement and electronic violence against New York’s Jews," adding, "He doesn’t get to hide behind Hamas’ made-up stats to justify his open Jew-hatred."
Mamdani has previously faced criticism for his stance on Israel, with some accusing him of making Jewish New Yorkers feel unsafe. The statement on the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks has intensified these concerns.
