Mamdani doubles down on Oct. 7 remarks accusing Israel of ‘genocide’ despite bipartisan condemnation

Mamdani defended his decision to focus on the war in Gaza rather than the 1,200 people, including dozens of Americans, who were killed on Oct. 7, 2023, and the 251 people who were kidnapped, describing the massacre as something that “simply happened three years ago” while arguing that the war in Gaza was ongoing.

His remarks came after anti-Israel protesters waving Hamas and Hezbollah flags disrupted an October 7 vigil he attended in Manhattan, denouncing him as a “traitor” and accusing him of genocide despite his repeated attacks on Israel. During a Thursday press conference, a reporter asked Mamdani, “Do you believe you made any missteps that inflamed tensions in this very difficult moment for a lot of New Yorkers?”

“I believe that there must be room to mourn every single life,” Mamdani responded. “There must be room to mourn the lives of the more than 1,100 that Hamas killed three years ago; there must be room to mourn the 74,000 Palestinians that the Israeli government has killed since.”

Mamdani again accused Israel of using the Hamas massacre as “a justification for a genocide” and repeatedly declined to say what, if anything, he would change about his original statement. Defending his greater emphasis on Palestinian deaths, Mamdani said, “this is something that is ongoing, as opposed to something that simply happened three years ago.”

The previous evening, hundreds of anti-Israel demonstrators disrupted a vigil organized by Israelis for Peace NYC in Manhattan's Union Square. Some carried Hamas and Hezbollah flags, while others shouted over speakers and pushed down police barricades. “Zohran Mamdani you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide,” protesters chanted. Others called him a “traitor,” while some shouted, “we love Hamas.” Mamdani attended alongside former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and several rabbis before his security detail escorted him away.

Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul condemned the disruption, saying, “On a day of profound pain for so many New Yorkers, disrupting a vigil for the victims of Oct. 7 while waving the flags of terrorist organizations is absolutely despicable.”

The confrontation followed Mamdani's Wednesday anniversary statement, which briefly acknowledged the approximately 1,200 people murdered and 251 kidnapped by Hamas before accusing Israel of genocide, apartheid and war crimes.

“The suffering did not begin nor end that day. It instead continued through the Israeli government’s devastating, ongoing genocide in Gaza,” Mamdani wrote.

The controversy followed Mamdani's new antisemitism strategy, which doubled funding for a community grant program whose partners include an anti-Israel organization previously led by Linda Sarsour, while declining to adopt a definition of antisemitism.

The anniversary statement drew condemnation from Republican and Democratic lawmakers. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) wrote on X, “Utterly disgraceful. Comrade Mamdani effectively declares a day of mourning for the Hamas terrorists who lost their lives raping & murdering innocent civilians.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) accused Mamdani of ignoring the massacre's Jewish victims and rising antisemitism. “But instead, he chose division,” Johnson wrote, adding, “Mayor Mamdani continues to sympathize with terrorists who commit atrocities, rather than those who have suffered unspeakable tragedy at their hands.”

Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey wrote, “Mr. Mayor, you're right that today is painful for Jews. You're also the one making it worse. Blame the victims. Trash Israel. Wife likes posts cheering the attack. Thanks for the clarity.” Gottheimer's reference to Mamdani's wife followed earlier reporting that New York City's first lady, Rama Duwaji, had liked social media posts celebrating the October 7 attacks.

Simon Wiesenthal Center CEO Jim Berk condemned Mamdani in a statement provided to The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI. “A mayor who represents all New Yorkers should not use a solemn day of mourning to deepen divisions in the city he leads. Do not exploit and weaponize Jewish grief to advance a political agenda on the very day meant to remember those who were murdered and taken hostage,” Berk said.

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon compared Mamdani's statement to “turning Sept. 11 into a day of mourning for al-Qaeda terrorists,” calling it “an attempt to hijack the anniversary of Oct. 7 and turn it into yet another propaganda attack against Israel.”

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt accused Mamdani of “weaponizing a day meant for mourning the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust to recycle your usual antizionist talking points.”