On the 3rd anniversary of October 7 attacks, Mamdani draws ire as he accuses Israel of genocide and war crimes

Mamdani’s October 7 statement draws criticism from Jewish leaders

Earthguardiansonline.com – New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani marked the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel with a message that mourned Israeli victims while sharply condemning Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The statement prompted immediate criticism from several Jewish leaders and pro-Israel groups, who argued that the anniversary should have been devoted to remembrance of those killed and abducted.

Mamdani’s remarks came as New Yorkers prepared for events honoring victims of the attack, which began when Hamas-led gunmen entered Israeli communities near the Gaza border. More than 1,200 people were killed, including children, women and elderly people, and 251 people were taken hostage.

This day is profoundly painful for so many New Yorkers.

The mayor described October 7 as a day of “horrific war crimes,” writing that Hamas killed more than 1,100 Israelis and abducted 251 people. He said the city was grieving with residents who continue to live with the consequences of the attack and the loss of loved ones.

But Mamdani also used the anniversary statement to address Palestinian suffering during the war that followed. He accused the Israeli government of carrying out war crimes and genocide in Gaza, citing figures of more than 74,000 Palestinians killed, including more than 21,000 children. His statement also said that more than 1,400 Palestinians had been killed since a ceasefire described by the mayor as “so-called.”

The suffering did not begin nor end that day.

Mamdani wrote that Palestinian suffering had been intensified by airstrikes, drone attacks, restrictions affecting food aid and attacks involving medical facilities, residential buildings and journalists. He argued that American taxpayers were helping fund actions he characterized as war crimes.

The mayor concluded by calling for a future in which occupation and apartheid do not continue and in which alleged war crimes are not met with impunity. He said honoring those who have died requires pursuing freedom, security and dignity for every person.

Jewish leaders object to framing of memorial day

The response from some Jewish organizations was swift. Jonathan Greenblatt, chief executive of the Anti-Defamation League, criticized Mamdani on X, arguing that the mayor had turned a day of mourning for the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust into an opportunity to repeat his anti-Zionist arguments.

The city with the largest Jewish population outside Israel deserves a mayor who can honor the dead without exploiting them.

The Anti-Defamation League has created a “Mamdani Monitor” intended to follow the mayor’s administration. Mamdani has been a longtime critic of Israel’s government and has also criticized the organization for its spending in U.S. elections.

Jack Simony, president and director of the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation, likewise emphasized New York’s large Jewish population. He said Jewish people should be able to grieve those murdered, raped and orphaned in the October 7 assault without having that mourning recast as a criticism of Israel.

Simony acknowledged the severe suffering experienced by Palestinians during the conflict, saying it deserves recognition, but argued that Mamdani should understand the particular importance of the date for Jewish New Yorkers. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee also condemned the mayor’s message, calling it a “disgraceful moral failure.”

A continuing political challenge for City Hall

The controversy highlights the difficult balance Mamdani faces while leading a city with sizable Jewish, Israeli, Palestinian and Arab communities. His approach to the Israel-Gaza war has regularly drawn scrutiny, particularly from groups that have accused him of antisemitism because of his criticism of Israel and his response to protests outside synagogues.

At the same time, Mamdani has sought to make engagement with Jewish communities a visible part of his administration. Last month, he announced New York City’s first municipal strategy aimed at fighting antisemitism. The initiative includes tens of millions of dollars for hate-crime prevention efforts and Jewish cultural centers.

His earlier campaign statements have also remained part of the debate. Mamdani had suggested that, if elected mayor, he would seek the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under an International Criminal Court warrant involving war-crimes allegations. The United States is not a party to the ICC, and Mamdani acknowledged earlier this summer that he would not have the legal power to carry out such an arrest.

The mayor’s public schedule included an October 7 remembrance vigil on Wednesday night, followed by a meeting with Palestinian New Yorkers. The two events reflect the competing demands confronting his administration: memorializing Israelis killed and taken hostage in the Hamas attack while recognizing the grief and trauma experienced by Palestinian residents amid the continuing effects of the war.

For many New Yorkers, the anniversary remains both a personal and political moment. The dispute over Mamdani’s wording illustrates how difficult it remains to publicly address October 7 and the Gaza war in a city where communities affected by the conflict live alongside one another, often carrying sharply different experiences of loss, fear and responsibility.