Mamdani criticized for statement mourning Oct. 7 and condemning Israel

A statement by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani that recognized 3 years since Hamas' "horrific" onslaught connected Israel — and extensively criticized Israel's "ongoing genocide" successful the Gaza Strip — has drawn fury from immoderate Democrats.

Mamdani is simply a longstanding and vehement professional of Israel's actions during its warfare with Hamas successful Gaza, and an hostile of U.S. assistance to Israel — issues that person divided Democrats nationwide and drawn disapproval for the politician from moderates, leaders of Jewish groups and Israeli officials. Mamdani has agelong defended his stance, saying disapproval of Israel is chiseled from antisemitism.

Wednesday's connection by Mamdani began by calling it a "profoundly painful" time for galore New Yorkers, noting Hamas' "horrific warfare crimes" on Oct. 7, 2023, including the sidesplitting of astir 1,200 radical successful Israel and the taking of much than 250 hostages. He added: "We grieve alongside our galore friends and neighbors who inactive transportation that unthinkable loss."

The politician past shifted to criticizing Israel for its "devastating, ongoing genocide successful Gaza" — noting the much than 74,000 deaths recorded successful the enclave, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry. 

"Many New Yorkers are reckoning with this unbearable grief, and we mourn alongside them — each portion knowing that our taxation dollars money these warfare crimes," Mamdani said. 

"Three years later, we indispensable garbage to judge a satellite successful which concern and apartheid continue, wherever warfare crimes are met with impunity, and our national authorities continues its complicity with each arms shipment," Mamdani added.

Several Democratic elected officials blasted Mamdani's statement, arguing it was excessively focused connected Israel alternatively than Hamas.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida accused Mamdani of "desecrating the representation of murdered, guiltless Jews," Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey said the politician was "blam[ing] the victims" of the Oct. 7 attack, and Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop called the statement "inappropriate and unnecessarily inflammatory."

Rep. Richie Torres, a Democrat who represents the Bronx, penned an X post that did not sanction Mamdani, but said: "Perhaps, for conscionable 1 day—October 7th—the critics of Israel could instrumentality a abrogation from their hysterical hatred of the world's lone Jewish State and find it wrong themselves to explicit condolences for the thousands of Israelis murdered, maimed, mutilated, raped, and abducted astatine the hands of Hamas."

Rep. Daniel Goldman — who lost a Democratic superior successful his Manhattan and Brooklyn territory to Mamdani-endorsed Brad Lander earlier this twelvemonth — called the mayor's message "reprehensible."

"In the guise of 'grieving' with those mourning that day, Mayor Mamdani asserts arsenic information hotly disputed allegations that helium knows afloat good volition offend and further upset those aforesaid radical helium pretends to grieve with," Goldman wrote connected X.

Lander, the Democratic nominee successful Goldman's deep-blue district, wrote a connection of his own connected Tuesday that condemned Hamas but argued against the "flattening of empathy." 

"We tin mourn for those mislaid connected October 7th and inactive admit the tremendous imbalance of powerfulness betwixt Israel and the Palestinians," Lander wrote successful a station connected Substack.

Mamdani besides faced pushback from the Anti-Defamation League, whose CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, is simply a predominant professional of the mayor. Greenblatt wrote connected societal media that successful Mamdani's statement, "not erstwhile bash you accidental 'Jews.'"

"You are weaponizing a time meant for mourning the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust to recycle your accustomed antizionist talking points," Greenblatt wrote.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called Mamdani's connection an "outrageous & disgusting rant," portion Ofir Akunis, Israeli consul wide successful New York, called it a "disgrace, shame, and insult to the representation of those who were murdered."

CBS News has reached retired to Mamdani's office.

Mamdani's stance connected Israel has drawn aggravated scrutiny — and applause from his allies — since helium began his unexpected ascent to the mayor's office. 

Ahead of the 2025 Democratic mayoral primary, Mamdani vowed that if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited New York City, he would seek Netanyahu's apprehension connected an International Criminal Court warrant accusing him of warfare crimes.

Over the summer, Mamdani conceded that the metropolis did not person the powerfulness to execute the warrant. The U.S. is not a enactment to the planetary pact that created the ICC and mostly does not admit its authority. Israel has called the warfare crimes allegations "absurd and false."

When Netanyahu visited the metropolis past period to code the United Nations General Assembly, helium accused Mamdani of antisemitism and said "many Jews nary longer consciousness harmless successful New York."

"Shame connected you for distorting the facts, shame connected you for inverting unfortunate and aggressor, shame connected you for spitting successful the look of truth," Netanyahu said.

Mamdani has agelong rejected allegations that his beardown criticisms of Israel person fueled antisemitism, and says the metropolis "has nary country for hatred oregon bigotry of immoderate kind."

Last month, Mamdani unveiled a program to combat antisemitism, including a dedicated antisemitism hotline and backing to upgrade information astatine synagogues.

Asked by CBS News New York astir the disapproval helium has faced and whether helium believes helium should dial backmost his statements, Mamdani said past month: "I deliberation disapproval of a premier minister, disapproval of authorities argumentation is chiseled from bigotry of a people. … And what my occupation is to guarantee is not lone that we are arrogant of being the astir Jewish metropolis successful the United States of America, but that we besides marque this a metropolis wherever Jewish beingness tin proceed to flourish."