{"id":160404,"date":"2026-03-11T15:23:25","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T15:23:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/160404\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T15:23:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T15:23:25","slug":"mamdani-hosts-pro-palestinian-activist-mahoud-khalil-for-dinner-no-invite-to-nypd-officers-who-thwarted-terror-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/160404\/","title":{"rendered":"Mamdani hosts pro-Palestinian activist Mahoud Khalil for dinner; no invite to NYPD officers who thwarted terror attack"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mayor Zohran Mamdani\u2019s recent decision to host Mahmoud Khalil \u2014 the organizer of pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University<\/a>, whom ICE has attempted to deport \u2014 for dinner at Gracie Mansion on Monday night has sparked controversy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The fast-breaking iftar, which took place during Ramadan, comes just two days after the failed Gracie Mansion terrorist attack in which two suspects hurled bombs at groups of protesters at an anti-Muslim demonstration. For whatever reason, the bombs did not detonate, but officers were able to clear the area and apprehend the suspects.<\/p>\n

The mayor, along with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, invited two of the heroic officers \u2014 Assistant Chief Aaron Edwards and Sergeant Luis Navarro \u2014 to a press conference on Monday, thanking them for their efforts and giving New Yorkers an update on the investigation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But controversy erupted Tuesday hours after Mamdani posted a picture on social media of Khalil at the Gracie Mansion dinner, acknowledging the \u201cprofound hardship and courage\u201d he faced when he was detained.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFor Mahmoud Khalil, this past year has been marked by profound hardship\u2014and by profound courage,\u201d Mamdani wrote.\n<\/p>\n

He added his belief that Khalil was deliberately targeted by the Trump administration for his \u201cprotesting the ongoing genocide in Palestine.\u201d
\n\"MayorMayor Zohran Mamdani\u2019s recent decision to host Mahmoud Khalil \u2014 the organizer of pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, whom ICE has attempted to deport \u2014 for dinner at Gracie Mansion on Monday night has sparked controversy.\u00a0Photo via X\/@nycmayor\n<\/p>\n

The dinner invitation, however, drew sharp criticism from some New Yorkers who questioned the mayor\u2019s priorities and commitment to public safety. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a tone-deaf move,\u201d one retired NYPD officer said. \u201cThese officers went above and beyond what was expected of them and risked their lives for New Yorkers and the mayor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Staten Island Council Member Frank Morano acknowledged the heroic efforts of the officers who thwarted a catastrophic attack. He suggested the mayor should have had the cops over to Gracie Mansion for dinner, not Khalil.<\/p>\n

\u201cChief Aaron Edwards and Sgt. Luis Navarro ran toward a lit explosive device and likely prevented a tragedy,\u201d Morano said. \u201cThey\u2019re heroes. If anyone deserves the spotlight at Gracie Mansion right now, it\u2019s the NYPD officers who put their lives on the line \u2014 not Mahmoud Khalil.\u201d<\/p>\n

Others suggested Mamdani\u2019s choice of dinner guests spoke more about where he stands on his relationship with the Jewish community.\n<\/p>\n

Gerard Filitti, senior counsel at the Lawfare Project, called Mamdani\u2019s decision to host Khalil at Gracie Mansion an act of normalization of political violence against Jews. He condemned the mayor for using the iconic building, the city\u2019s official mayoral residence, to recognize Khalil, whose detention sparked massive protests throughout the city.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cKhalil is not a hero,\u201d the attorney said. \u201cHe is a man the federal government has accused of fraud on his immigration application and of leading activities aligned with Hamas. His deportation case remains active. Yet the Mayor of New York City \u2013 days after an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack on his own doorstep \u2013 chose this moment to seat him at his table and celebrate him publicly.\u201d<\/p>\n

He is concerned that the dinner sends the message that the mayor will not protect Jewish New Yorkers from antisemitic attacks.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cTo Jewish New Yorkers, it says their mayor will not protect them,\u201d Filitti added. \u201cTo campus agitators across the country, it says that organizing antisemitic harassment earns you a seat at the mayor\u2019s table. And to law enforcement, it says New York City\u2019s mayor is an obstacle, not a partner. Mayor Mamdani has repeatedly told us who he is. It\u2019s time New Yorkers take him at his word.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rabbi Mark Wildes, founder and director of the Manhattan Jewish Experience, was appalled at the mayor\u2019s move.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is beyond despicable that a New York City Mayor, in a city with a million Jewish residents, would host a Jew-hater like Mahmoud Khalil at Gracie Mansion,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is a stark reminder of who our mayor is and what we in the Jewish community are up against.\u201d<\/p>\n

The holiday dinner marked the one-year anniversary of Khalil\u2019s detention by federal agents. Although he has been released from ICE, his deportation case remains in the hands of the courts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cA year ago, Mahmoud was walking home through our city after sharing an iftar with his wife Noor when he was detained by federal agents, flown to Louisiana, and then held in an ICE facility for months. In that time, he was forced to miss the birth of his first child,\u201d the post continued. \u201cAll of this for exercising his First Amendment rights in protesting the ongoing genocide in Palestine.\u201d<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump\u2019s administration has accused Khalil of supporting the terror group Hamas. His supporters call him a political prisoner being unfairly targeted.\n<\/p>\n

For Mahmoud Khalil, this past year has been marked by profound hardship\u2014and by profound courage.\n<\/p>\n

A year ago, Mahmoud was walking home through our city after sharing an iftar with his wife Noor when he was detained by federal agents, flown to Louisiana, and then held in an ICE\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/6dBtLh0GeT<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) March 10, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n