Mamdani draws heat over Oct. 7 statement

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has drawn backlash from several pro-Israel political pundits and officials in response to his statement on the third anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, in which he criticized what he called Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza.

Mamdani, who has been a sharp critic of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his administration’s campaign in Gaza, acknowledged the grief over “the horrific war crimes” and “unthinkable loss” Israeli endured on Oct. 7, but also said, “the suffering did not begin nor end that day.” Mamdani said in the Wednesday morning statement that the suffering in the region “continued through the Israeli government’s devastating, ongoing genocide in Gaza.”