Big Apple mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani called for an end to “occupation and apartheid” in a tardy statement Monday as the living Israeli hostages were returned after two years in Hamas’ captivity.
“Today’s scenes of Israelis and Palestinians are profoundly moving: Israeli hostages being freed and families reunited after years of fear, uncertainty, and torture; the first days in Gaza without relentless Israeli bombardment of Palestinians as families return to rubble and loved ones freed from detention,” he said.
The vocal critic of Israel said there’s a glimmer of hope that the ceasefire brokered by President Trump will hold, but also lamented American tax dollars that allegedly “funded a genocide” in Gaza after the Oct. 7., 2023, terror attacks.
Big Apple mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani called for an end to “occupation and apartheid” in a tardy statement Monday as the living Israeli hostages were returned after two years in Hamas’ captivity. Matthew McDermott
Eitan Abraham Mor, released from Gaza, embraces his loved ones at Rabin Medical Center. via REUTERS
ICRC vehicles carrying released Israeli hostages make their way through groups of Palestinians and Hamas gunmen on their way to the Israeli border. AP
“We must work towards a future built upon justice, one without occupation and apartheid, and for a world where every person can live with safety and dignity,” he said.
The Israel-bashing statement came hours after his election rivals Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa praised the release of 20 captives by Hamas – a long-awaited moment that drew celebration across New York City among crowds in Central Park and political leaders of nearly all political stripes.
City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, who is Jewish and pro-Israel, quickly lambasted Mamdani’s statement.
Released Israeli hostage Evyatar David reacts upon arriving at Beilinson Hospital in the Rabin Medical Centre in Petah Tikva on Monday, October 13, 2025. AFP via Getty Images
“GLARINGLY MISSING FROM THIS WORD SALAD: Any single mention of HAMAS or the TERRORISTS who brought this upon themselves by murdering & raping their way across Israel on 10/7,” the Republican wrote on X.
State Assemblyman Sam Berger, a Jewish Democrat repping Orthodox communities in Queens, said: “I’m going to need a fork to parse through this word salad for any mention of Hamas.”
Released Israeli hostage, Yosef-Chaim Ohana, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, kisses his mother after being freed. via REUTERS
“This didn’t need to be a two year wait. There didn’t need to be a war. There didn’t need to be hostages. People didn’t need to die. And Hamas is solely to blame,” he told The Post. “But an actual racist, violent, hate-filled organization like Hamas is an inconvenient truth for Zohran’s ‘anti-Jewish state’ narrative.”
Mamdani’s hours-long silence on the hostages’ release “speaks volumes,” Cuomo argued.
The former governor, who is running as an independent for mayor, evoked Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel’s famous quote: “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.”
President Trump gestures as he boards Air Force One while en route to Egypt on Monday, October 13, 2025. REUTERS
New York Governor Kathy Hochul speaks out after the hostages were freed. Don Pollard
“Today, we reject indifference & choose remembrance,” he said in a statement. “This is more than a diplomatic success; it is a moral moment, a reminder of our shared humanity and the sacred value of every life. We must never forget the terrorist act that brought us here, and we must stand together to say, with one voice: never forget and never again. Terrorism has no place in Gaza, in the Middle East, or anywhere in the world.”
Sliwa, the Republican nominee, found spiritual significance in the agonizing 738 days that the hostages stayed in captivity.
“A massive weight has been lifted from their families’ shoulders,” he said. “Peace is always the ultimate goal, and finally, an end to the war is something we all should celebrate,” he said in a statement.
“We pray that these hostages coming home can recover, and live peacefully again.”
The prayer for peace was also echoed by Mayor Eric Adams, who is no longer running for re-election.
Matan Zangauker meeting his mother at the initial reception point after being released from Hamas, in Israel. AP
“Our hearts are filled with joy as an end to the war in Gaza appears to be on the horizon, and families have finally been united,” he said in a statement. “We pray that this news will bring lasting peace, justice, and prosperity to Israelis and Palestinians alike.”
Mamdani didn’t join the chorus until long after his rivals.
He spent the weekend running a 5K in Brooklyn fundraising for the controversial UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which was forced to fire several of its staffers after an internal investigation found they may have been involved in Hamas’ attack on Israel.
Mamdani’s seldom-seen wife, Rama Duwaji, also drew fire for publicly mourning a Palestinian influencer who had cheered the Oct. 7 attacks.
The relief over the hostages extended beyond New York City, the largest Jewish community in the world outside of Israel.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, in a solemn statement, noted the pointed impact that the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks had on New Yorkers.
Released Israeli hostage Avinatan Or greets well-wishers upon arriving at Beilinson Hospital in the Rabin Medical Centre in Petah Tikva. AFP via Getty Images
“When I visited Israel in the immediate aftermath of the attack, I grieved alongside the families of Omer Neutra and Itay Chen,” she said, referring to two New Yorkers held hostage and presumed dead.
“My heart is with them today, and with the many others who are still awaiting the closure they deserve. May the victims’ memories be a blessing, and may we never forget their loved ones’ pain.”
Hochul, without referring to President Trump by name, said she was grateful for his administration’s role in securing the hostages’ release.
Stay up to date on the Israel-Hamas cease-fire exchange
“With their return and a permanent ceasefire, I’m hopeful that vital aid will soon reach families suffering in Gaza and that today marks the beginning of a new chapter of lasting peace and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” the Democrat said.
Republicans weren’t so shy about hailing Trump.
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island) cast the hostage deal as a victory for the president.
New York Representative, Nicole Malliotakis also spoke out after the hostages were freed. Michael McWeeney for NY Post
“President Trump is a real dealmaker and leader with the strength, power and chutzpah to deliver lasting peace,” she said.
Her fellow Rep. Mike Lawler (R-Hudson Valley) argued Trump showed “peace through strength works — although he said more needs to be done.
“As we celebrate today, we continue to demand the return of the remains of the 28 hostages murdered by Hamas, including Americans Omer Neutra and Itay Chen,” he said. “Let me be clear: peace can only endure when terror is defeated, and every last hostage, living or deceased, is brought home.”
Likewise, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman called for Neutra’s return.
“Only President Trump could have pulled this off,” he said. “Very grateful for his leadership.”
Not all Democrats avoided giving Trump credit.
Rep. Tom Suozzi, a moderate Democrat from Long Island, congratulated Trump for the deal.
“As we celebrate this moment, let us also pause to pray for all who have endured so much suffering, death, and destruction along the way,” he posted on X. “Today, I pray especially for the Neutra family from Plainview, whose son was murdered on October 7th and who have faced unimaginable pain and countless ups and downs over the past two traumatic years.”
– Additional reporting by Hannah Fierick, Brandon Cruz and Ryan King