New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was introduced at a Ramadan event by a man who called for Hamas to bomb Tel Aviv, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
Abdullah Akl, who delivered the introductory remarks at the Muslim American Society (MAS) event in Staten Island last week, led a chant for Hamas to "strike" Tel Aviv during a protest against the State of Israel in 2024. "Strike, strike Tel Aviv, Abu Obeida, our beloved," he said in reference to the spokesperson of the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza.
The Free Beacon also reported that Akl's social media history includes posts calling for an "Intifada," claiming that "there is no state called Israel," and calling on parents to "teach children that the Zionist entity is an enemy."
At last week's event, Mamdani stated that it was "such a privilege and a pleasure" to be there with Akl and the other attendees.
Mamdani has faced multiple antisemitism controversies during his election campaign and since taking office. Over the weekend, Jewish Insider reported that Mmadani's wife, Rama Dawaji, liked several social media posts that praised or appeared supportive of the October 7th massacre.
According to the report, on the day of the attack, Dawaji liked a post that included screenshots from videos circulated on social media showing Hamas’ Nukhba unit riding in an Israeli military vehicle as they headed toward Israeli border communities.
The posts were shared by U.S.-based left-wing groups critical of Israel and included the caption “Opposing apartheid since 1948." The report also said Dawaji liked a post published by The People’s Forum that called on residents to join protests against Israel and expressed support for continued Palestinian resistance.
One post encouraged people to attend a demonstration in support of the Palestinian cause, stating that Palestinians have the right to resist what it described as occupation and oppression. It also warned that civilians in Gaza, many of them children, could face consequences if violence escalated.
Responding to the report, Mamdani said his wife’s activity on social media reflected her actions as a private individual and did not represent his views or those of his administration.
“My wife was a private person who did not hold an official role in my campaign or in City Hall," Mamdani said during a press conference. “I, on the other hand, was elected to represent all 8.5 million residents of the city. Because of that responsibility, I believe it is my duty to answer questions about my own views, politics, and positions."
Mamdani caused an uproar on his first day in office when he cancelled executive orders related to Israel, which were issued by his predecessor, Eric Adams.
The move cancelled an order signed by Adams in June of 2025 formally recognizing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.
Another executive order which was cancelled prohibited mayoral appointees and agency staff from boycotting and disinvesting from Israel.