Zohran Mamdani condemned Hamas' attack on Israel before sharply criticizing Israel's actions in Gaza. Several Democrats, Jewish organizations and Israeli representatives said his statement shifted attention away from the attack's victims.
In a statement marking the third anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called Hamas' crimes “horrific” and said he mourned with residents still carrying the loss. Israeli authorities say about 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were taken hostage in the attack.
Mamdani then accused Israel of an ongoing genocide in Gaza and said U.S. taxpayers were funding war crimes. He attributed the death toll he cited to Gaza's Hamas-controlled Health Ministry. The allegations are fiercely disputed, and Israel has rejected them as false.
Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Josh Gottheimer and Daniel Goldman criticized the statement. Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop called it inappropriate and unnecessarily inflammatory. Jewish organizations and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also objected. Mamdani has faced criticism over his comments on Israel before, but rejects allegations of antisemitism and says criticism of government policy is distinct from hostility toward Jews.