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 focusing on Israel‘s conduct in Gaza.
The criticism came from a broad range of Israeli, American and Jewish leaders, including the Israeli-American Council (IAC), U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon and Israeli Consul General in New York Ofir Akunis.
In a post on X, Mamdani said October 7, 2023, remained a “profoundly painful” day for many New Yorkers. He noted that Hamas killed more than 1,100 Israelis and abducted 251 others during the attack, but devoted a substantial portion of his statement to condemning Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which he described as an “ongoing genocide.”
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Newsweek reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment.
Zohran Mamdani’s October 7 Statement Draws Criticism
Mamdani acknowledged the victims of the Hamas attack before pivoting to the war in Gaza. He argued that Palestinian suffering neither began nor ended on October 7 and criticized continued U.S. support for Israel.
The mayor cited Palestinian casualty figures and accused Israel of carrying out war crimes, saying New Yorkers were grieving not only Israeli losses but also the devastation inflicted on Gaza during the conflict.
He concluded his statement, writing: “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.
“To honor the dead, we must fight for a world in which every person can live with freedom, safety, and dignity.”
The statement comes on Mamdani’s first October 7 anniversary as mayor of New York, home to the largest Jewish population worldwide outside Israel.
In a statement posted on X, the Anti-Defamation League told Mamdani: “Not once do you say ‘Jews.’ On Oct. 7, Hamas-led attackers murdered civilians, committed sexual violence, mutilated bodies and took hostages. You are weaponizing a day meant for mourning the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust to recycle your usual antizionist talking points. The city with the largest Jewish population outside Israel deserves a mayor who can honor the dead without exploiting them.”
Pro-Israel media watchdog HonestReporting similarly accused Mamdani of minimizing the anniversary’s victims, noting that fewer than 50 words of his approximately 200-word statement were devoted to Israelis killed or abducted during the attack. “Imagine writing an anniversary statement about a massacre and making the victims a supporting detail,” the organization wrote.
New York state Senator Saritha Komatireddy accused Mamdani of using “their day of remembrance to attack Israel and accuse the Jewish state of genocide.” She added: “October 7 is not an opportunity for political equivocation or anti-Israel rhetoric. It is a day to remember the victims, condemn Hamas, and stand with New York’s Jewish community.”
The tensions were also visible outside City Hall, where pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered on Wednesday to protest the mayor, accusing him of abandoning the movement despite his longstanding criticism of Israel.
According to a social media post from Politico reporter Christ Sommerfeldt from the demonstration, protesters chanted accusations against Mamdani and framed his recent outreach to some Jewish organizations as a betrayal of pro-Palestinian activists.
Protesters told Sommerfeldt they wanted Mamdani to take a harder line on issues related to policing and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with some specifically calling for the removal of NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
He added that several hundred people attended and that the gathering remained peaceful despite a significant police presence near City Hall.
Israeli-American Council Says Mamdani ‘Hijacked’ Day of Mourning
The Israeli-American Council issued one of the strongest rebukes, accusing Mamdani of using a day of remembrance to advance a political argument against Israel.
“For the Jewish and Israeli community, October 7 is, first and foremost, a day of mourning, remembrance, and trauma,” the organization said. It argued that Mamdani had once again used the anniversary to accuse Israel of genocide and rejected that characterization as false.
The group further claimed that rhetoric accusing Israel of genocide contributes to hostility toward Jewish communities and pointed to concerns about antisemitism in New York City. The IAC said the mayor’s responsibility should be ensuring Jewish and Israeli residents can commemorate the anniversary without what it described as political attacks overshadowing their grief.
The organization also framed the controversy as part of a broader pattern, not an isolated incident. It argued that Mamdani’s approach to the anniversary has become a recurring source of tension between his administration and pro-Israel organizations.
Mike Huckabee, Danny Danon and Ofir Akunis Respond
Huckabee described Mamdani’s statement as an “outrageous” and “disgusting” attack issued on a day that should have been devoted to remembering those killed by Hamas.
The ambassador compared the mayor’s message to commemorating the September 11 attacks while spending equal time criticizing the American response. He rejected Mamdani’s genocide accusation and argued that Hamas bears responsibility for the war’s death toll because of its conduct during and after the attack.
Danon similarly accused Mamdani of attempting to transform the anniversary into a propaganda opportunity against Israel. Danon likened the approach to using September 11 as a day to mourn Al-Qaeda terrorists rather than those killed in the attacks.
Akunis also condemned the statement, saying anyone with “a human heart” should be ashamed of the mayor’s response. Akunis accused Mamdani of lacking sensitivity toward victims and invited him to attend a screening of footage documenting atrocities committed during the October 7 attack.
Anniversary Events Highlight New York Divide
The controversy unfolded as Jewish and pro-Palestinian groups planned separate events across New York City to mark the third anniversary of the October 7 attack and the war that followed.
Several Jewish organizations scheduled memorial events focused on the victims of the Hamas attack, including ceremonies and vigils honoring those killed and kidnapped during the assault. Some gatherings were also expected to acknowledge the suffering of civilians in Gaza in the years since the attack.
At the same time, pro-Palestinian activists planned demonstrations criticizing Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and opposing the continued expansion of the conflict across the region. Organizers of one rally outside City Hall said the event would also express dissatisfaction with Mamdani’s handling of the issue, arguing that his engagement with some pro-Israel organizations has not been matched by policy action.
The competing events underscored the political pressures facing Mamdani as he attempts to navigate one of the city’s most divisive issues. While Jewish organizations accused him of minimizing the trauma of October 7, some pro-Palestinian activists have separately criticized him for failing to go far enough in challenging Israeli government policies.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Samantha Beech, Sam Wilson, Gray R. Thomas