Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused New York City Mayor Eric Adams of celebrating the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack and aligning himself with "Hamas murderers." Netanyahu made these claims during an interview on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures," stating, without providing evidence, that Adams "celebrated Oct. 7 massacre, the worst massacre against Jews since the Holocaust."
Netanyahu's remarks come as he faces pushback regarding potential legal actions. Adams had previously indicated he would consider arresting Netanyahu if the Israeli Prime Minister visited New York. However, Adams later conceded he lacked the legal authority to do so. Netanyahu is expected to travel to New York in September for a United Nations General Assembly gathering.
The Israeli Prime Minister further asserted that Adams supports those responsible for the attacks, describing Hamas's actions as involving rape, beheadings, burning babies, and taking hostages. "What we're doing is try to fight this genocidal terrorist organization that embeds itself among civilians," Netanyahu said. "Mamdani is aligning himself with the criminals, with these murderers."
Adams has consistently criticized Israel's response to the Oct. 7 attacks, labeling them as "genocide" in Gaza. During his mayoral campaign, Adams advocated against Israel and supported the International Criminal Court's consideration of an arrest warrant for Netanyahu. Adams's office has previously stated that the mayor views October 7 as a "horrific war crime."
Netanyahu also directed accusations at Adams's wife, Rama Duwaji, an artist. He claimed her family also supports Hamas, referencing social media posts Duwaji liked on Instagram on Oct. 7, 2023. Some of these posts contained slogans such as "systemic change for collective liberation" and "Free Palestine," and one post discussed potential retaliation for "resistance." Duwaji has since apologized for past social media posts, stating in April that she was "ashamed being confronted with language I used that is so harmful to others."
Approximately 1,200 Israelis were killed during the Oct. 7 attack, according to reports. Hamas has been designated a genocidal terrorist organization by Israel.