Mamdani calls out Israel's 'genocide' in Gaza on anniversary of Oct. 7 attack
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani acknowledged “the horrific war crimes” of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel on its third anniversary, but he added that “the suffering did not begin nor end that day” while calling Israel’s actions in Gaza “genocide.”
TL;DR
- NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani acknowledged Hamas's Oct. 7 war crimes but also labeled Israel's actions in Gaza as "genocide."
- Mamdani stated that over 1,100 Israelis were killed and 251 abducted on Oct. 7, and that over 74,000 Palestinians, including over 21,000 children, have been killed in Gaza.
- He criticized the Israeli government's campaign in Gaza and has spoken against the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's political spending.
- Mamdani maintains his criticism is of Netanyahu and his government, not of the Israeli people or Jewish faith.
- He recently unveiled a city policy to combat antisemitism, which some Jewish groups found to have positive elements but expressed concern that rhetoric demonizing Israel leads to targeting of Jewish New Yorkers.
- Mamdani's previous statements on Oct. 7 have similarly expressed grief for those killed while centering criticism on Israel.
- He plans to attend a vigil for the Oct. 7 attack victims and meet with Palestinian New Yorkers.