Mamdani marked the third anniversary of Hamas' October 7 attack by declaring the day a “profoundly painful” occasion and calling Israel’s Gaza offensive a “devastating, ongoing genocide” after citing 74,000 Gaza deaths and 1,200 Israeli deaths—
Democratic lawmakers decried the remarks as victim‑blaming. Florida Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz called the mayor “desecrating the memory of murdered, innocent Jews,” while New Jersey’s Josh Gottheimer said Mamdani had “brought the focus to Israel” instead of the October 7 victims—
Jewish advocacy groups and Israeli diplomats slammed the statement. ADL chief Jonathan Greenblatt said the mayor failed to mention Jews, and U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee called the message an “outrageous & disgusting rant.” Israel’s consul general Ofir Akunis branded it a “disgrace, shame, and insult.”—
Pro‑Palestinian activists also pushed back, arguing Mamdani didn’t go far enough. About 200 anti‑Israel demonstrators outside City Hall demanded he fire NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, whom they label a Zionist, and stop synagogues from hosting West Bank land‑sale events—
The controversy has prompted a congressional hearing request by Representative Dan Goldman, who wants the mayor to explain his stance. Meanwhile, the statement amassed over 11 million views on X, reflecting the polarised public discourse.