New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani sparked fresh controversy after accusing Israel of waging a “genocidal war” in a statement Tuesday marking the two-year anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre.
“Two years ago, Hamas carried out a horrific war crime, killing more than 1,100 Israelis and kidnapping 250 more,” Mamdani said. “In the aftermath of that day, Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Israeli government launched a genocidal war: a death toll that now far exceeds 67,000; with the Israeli military bombing homes, hospitals, and schools into rubble.”
Mamdani also called for the end of the “occupation” by Israeli forces in Gaza.
“Peace must be pursued through diplomacy, not war crimes, and our government must act to end these atrocities and hold those responsible to account,” he said.
Reposting Mamdani’s statement on X, Israel’s Foreign Ministry accused him of “acting as a mouthpiece for Hamas propaganda” and wrote: “By repeating Hamas’s lies, he excuses terror and normalizes antisemitism. He stands with Jews only when they are dead. Shameful.”
Mamdani’s positions on Israel have made him a flashpoint in the race for mayor of New York City, which is home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel. Notably his statement didn’t recant his previous support for the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which his chief rival, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo had demanded he condemn ahead of the Oct. 7 anniversary.
“Mamdani continues to play word games instead of showing moral clarity. Today, I again call on him—directly and unequivocally—to denounce this phrase and to reject any movement that glorifies violence or targets Jewish people,” Cuomo said on Sunday.
During the 2025 primary election, Mamdani refused to condemn the slogan, sparking backlash from Jewish leaders and community members. As a mayoral candidate, he has pledged not to support the phrase but has declined to condemn it outright. Mamdani has long backed the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and has promised to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu if he visits New York City, calling him a “war criminal.”
During an appearance on “The View” last Wednesday, Mamdani defended his positions on Israel and Gaza.
“What we see is a war crime being answered with war crimes. And what we see is, every single hour, the Israeli military killing a Palestinian child for close to two years,” Mamdani told the daytime talk show. “I can’t stop that as the mayor of this city. I can make clear my own values, my own commitments.”
Last month, Mayor Eric Adams dropped out of the race after running as an independent, leaving Nov 4. election contest between Mamdani, Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. An Emerson College poll shows Mamdani with a commanding lead at 43%, followed by Cuomo at 28% and Sliwa at 15%.
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