Israeli, American, and Jewish officials condemned New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s statement marking the third anniversary of the October 7 massacre, slamming him for spreading lies and using the anniversary of the massacre to attack Israel rather than remember the victims.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee sharply condemned Mamdani's statement calling it an “outrageous & disgusting rant" issued on a day that “ought to honor the over 1200 civilians butchered by Hamas including 46 Americans."
Huckabee compared Mamdani’s remarks to using the anniversary of the September 11 attacks to mourn the victims while “condemn[ing] the response of the United States equally."
“There is NO genocide in Gaza," Huckabee stated, blaming the death toll on Hamas and its continued holding and abuse of hostages. He added that an apology for Mamdani’s “obtuse and utterly ignorant remarks" would not be enough, concluding: “God help the people of New York for electing a jihadist sympathizer!"
Israeli Consul General in New York Ofir Akunis sharply condemned n Mamdani, saying: “Anyone with a human heart should be ashamed today of the New York City Mayor's response to the October 7th massacre," Akunis stated.
“A day when human monsters invaded the State of Israel on a holiday, murdering, kidnapping, beheading hundreds, and raping hundreds of women."
Akunis accused Mamdani of showing a lack of sensitivity toward the victims of the massacre and of continuing to level antisemitic accusations against Israel.
“Mamdani is displaying a complete lack of human sensitivity and continues to spread his antisemitic blood libels against the Jewish state," he said.
“It is a disgrace to New York City that such a man stands at its helm, and that, on this day, he chooses to disparage the memory of the murdered victims."
Akunis concluded by inviting Mamdani to attend a screening of footage documenting the atrocities committed during the Hamas-led October 7 attack.
“It is not too late for him to attend the screening of the horror film we are hosting this evening, and to witness with his own eyes, for the first time, the kind of human monsters he supports," Akunis stated.
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon also blasted Mamdani's statement and accused him of attempting to hijack October 7: “'Mamdani-ism' - an attempt to hijack the anniversary of October 7 and turn it into yet another propaganda attack against Israel. It is like turning September 11 into a day of mourning for al-Qaeda terrorists. We will not let this happen. We will remember those who were murdered, and we will never forget who was behind this massacre."
The Israeli-American Council (IAC) stated: "For the Jewish and Israeli community, October 7 is, first and foremost, a day of mourning, remembrance, and trauma. On the third anniversary of Hamas' mass murder, mass rape, mass torture, and mass hostage taking of over 1,200 Israelis, Mayor Mamdani chose, once again, to use the day to accuse Israel of "genocide." That claim is demonstrably false. The IDF has taken extraordinary steps to minimize civilian casualties, far beyond what the law of armed conflict requires, while fighting an enemy that systematically hides beyond women and children and uses civilians as human shields."
"This is not a one-time lapse. Every year, on the anniversary of the day our community buries its dead, the mayor reaches for the same blood libel against the Jewish state. Rhetoric like this doesn't stay online - it is exactly the kind of messaging that has fueled a documented rise in antisemitic incidents across New York City," the IAC said. "The mayor's job is to keep New Yorkers safe and ensure Jewish and Israeli residents can mourn without their grief being hijacked for a political attack. The mayor today has betrayed his duty and continued to fuel anti Jewish hatred."
In his statement, Mamdani claimed to mourn the Israelis murdered and abducted by Hamas, while devoting most of his message to making accusations against Israel over its conduct in Gaza rather than the atrocities committed on October 7.
“This day is profoundly painful for so many New Yorkers. It marks three years since the horrific war crimes of October 7," Mamdani wrote on X.
“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."
Mamdani then turned to the war in Gaza, arguing that the suffering “did not begin nor end that day" and accusing the Israeli government of carrying out an “ongoing genocide."
He claimed that Israel has killed more than 74,000 Palestinian Arabs, including more than 21,000 children, and that more than 1,400 Palestinian Arabs have been killed since what he termed the “so-called ceasefire."