New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday commemorated the three-year anniversary of the Hamas attack against Israel by equating the brutal assault to Israel’s conflict in Gaza.
Mr. Mamdani’s 472-word statement devoted 49 words to acknowledging the murderous attack on Israel by Hamas in 2023.
The rest of his message was directed at the Israeli government’s “ongoing genocide in Gaza.”
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“This day is profoundly painful for so many New Yorkers. It marks three years since the horrific war crimes of October 7,” Mr. Mamdani said.
“On that day, Hamas killed more than 1,100 Israelis and abducted 251 others.”
Mr. Mamdani continued, “The suffering did not begin nor end that day. It instead continued through the Israeli government’s devastating, ongoing genocide in Gaza, in which it has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians — including more than 21,000 children.”
He said, “To honor the dead, we must fight for a world in which every person can live with freedom, safety, and dignity.”
The statement sparked immediate backlash online by pro-Israel supporters. Anti-Defamation League’s Jonathan Greenblatt responded to Mr. Mamdani, “Not once do you say ’Jews.’”
“On Oct. 7, Hamas-led attackers murdered civilians, committed sexual violence, mutilated bodies and took hostages,” Mr. Greenblatt told the mayor. “You are weaponizing a day meant for mourning the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust to recycle your usual anti-zionist talking points.”
Mr. Greenblatt said, “The city with the largest Jewish population outside Israel deserves a mayor who can honor the dead without exploiting them.”
KVI Seattle radio host Ari Hoffman said on social media, “Seventeen days after the Oct 7 Massacre, while Israel was still sifting through ashes to identify the 1200 Jews who were raped & murdered … Zohran Mamdani led a pro-Hamas rally calling for a ’ceasefire’ even though the IDF hadn’t gone into Gaza yet… His wife even celebrated the attack.”
Mr. Mamdani is expected to attend an Oct. 7 remembrance vigil on Wednesday evening and then meet with Palestinian New Yorkers.
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