Mayor Zohran Mamdani sparked outrage Wednesday after using the third anniversary of the Oct. 7 slaughter of Israelis to accuse the Jewish state of “war crimes” and an “ongoing genocide.” His statement devoted far more attention to attacking Israel than remembering the victims of the Hamas assault.

Mamdani acknowledged the “unthinkable loss” suffered when “Hamas killed more than 1,100 Israelis and abducted 251 others.” But that recognition accounted for less than a quarter of his statement, while the vast majority focused on his condemnation of Israel.

The mayor quickly shifted from the murdered and abducted Israelis to Palestinians killed in the response to the Hamas attack. The result was a statement that critics saw as hijacking an anniversary dedicated to the victims and survivors of Oct. 7.

On the 3rd anniversary of Oct. 7, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani used his statement to accuse Israel of committing GENOCIDE.

Mamdani acknowledged that Hamas killed more than 1,100 Israelis and abducted 251 people in the 2023 attack. But he then turned to Gaza, accusing the Israeli government of an “ongoing genocide,” “apartheid” and war crimes, and the U.S. government of complicity through arms shipments. His message on one of the most painful dates in Israeli history is already igniting FIERCE backlash... Source: NY Post / Writer: Samuel — Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 7, 2026

“The suffering did not begin nor end that day. It instead continued through the Israeli government’s devastating, ongoing genocide in Gaza,” Mamdani said while discussing the Palestinian deaths that followed the Hamas attack being marked Wednesday.

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Mamdani continued by accusing Israel of attacking ambulances, residential buildings and journalists while blocking shipments of food aid. His language portrayed those accusations as part of continuing Palestinian suffering rather than keeping the statement centered on the Israelis killed or abducted.

“That suffering has intensified with every Israeli bomb dropped on ambulances waiting outside hospitals, every drone strike targeting a residential building or journalist, and every shipment of food aid turned away at a border crossing.”

The mayor then widened his attack to include occupation, apartheid, alleged war crimes and the role of the federal government. He accused Washington of complicity through arms shipments, making his Oct. 7 message as much an assault on American policy as a remembrance of the massacre.

“Three years later, we must refuse to accept a world in which occupation and apartheid continue, where war crimes are met with impunity, and our federal government continues its complicity with every arms shipment,” said Mamdani.

This day is profoundly painful for so many New Yorkers. It marks three years since the horrific war crimes of October 7. On that day, Hamas killed more than 1,100 Israelis and abducted 251 others. We grieve alongside our many friends and neighbors who still carry that unthinkable loss.

The suffering did not begin nor end that day. It instead continued through the Israeli government’s devastating, ongoing genocide in Gaza, in which it has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians—including more than 21,000 children. Even since the so-called ceasefire, more than 1,400 Palestinians have been killed. That suffering has intensified with every Israeli bomb dropped on ambulances waiting outside hospitals, every drone strike targeting a residential building or journalist, and every shipment of food aid turned away at a border crossing. Many New Yorkers are reckoning with this unbearable grief, and we mourn alongside them – all while knowing that our tax dollars fund these war crimes. Three years later, we must refuse to accept a world in which occupation and apartheid continue, where war crimes are met with impunity, and our federal government continues its complicity with every arms shipment. To honor the dead, we must fight for a world in which every person can live with freedom, safety, and dignity. — Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) October 7, 2026

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The statement arrived as Mamdani was already facing widespread criticism over his continuing attacks on Israel and concerns that Jewish New Yorkers felt unsafe. His decision to use the anniversary for another denunciation of Israel was quickly met with horror.

Sid Rosenberg unloaded on Mayor Zohran Mamdani over his statement marking the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks. Mamdani acknowledged the Israelis killed and abducted by Hamas, but devoted much of the statement to condemning Israel’s war in Gaza, prompting Sid to accuse him of failing to focus on the victims of October 7 on the anniversary itself.

Photo via Reuters @sidrosenberg19 — TalkRadio 77 WABC (@77WABCradio) October 7, 2026

Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon accused Mamdani of trying to commandeer the one day reserved for the victims and survivors. Danon told The Post that the mayor was using the anniversary to promote attacks against Israel rather than maintaining the focus on those murdered and kidnapped.

“What he is trying to do is hijack the only day we have for the victims and survivors. He’s trying to hijack the day to talk about attacking Israel,” Danon told The Post.

Danon compared Mamdani’s approach to discussing al-Qaeda terrorists on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. He also argued that Mamdani would appear at ceremonies, express concern for losses on both sides and use those appearances to attack Israel with propaganda.

“It’s like on 9/11 you talked about victims and al-Qaeda terrorists. It’s basically taking the only day we have for victims and trying to attack Israel with propaganda. He’s dangerous and sophisticated. He will go to both ceremonies and try to say he feels for both losses of life.”

Mesneshe Shapiro, a former adviser to Mamdani’s predecessor, former Mayor Eric Adams, issued an even more blistering condemnation. Shapiro called the mayor’s statement “incitement and electronic violence against New York’s Jews.”

Shapiro also rejected the basis for Mamdani’s argument and accused him of open hatred toward Jews. “He doesn’t get to hide behind Hamas’ made-up stats to justify his open Jew-hatred.”

The furious reaction centered on Mamdani’s choice to use the Oct. 7 anniversary for a lengthy indictment of Israel. While his statement mentioned the more than 1,100 Israelis killed and 251 abducted by Hamas, critics said the mayor had redirected the occasion toward his own campaign against the Jewish state.

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