The Mamdani Oct. 7 statement has opened a fresh rift among Democrats. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani marked three years since Hamas’ 2023 attack on Israel with a message that mourned the victims but then turned sharply to Israel’s conduct in Gaza. Posted on X on Wednesday, it drew sharp replies from members of his own party, Jewish advocacy groups and Israeli officials.
Mamdani has been one of the most outspoken critics of Israel’s war among major American officeholders. That position has divided Democrats for months, and the anniversary put the disagreement back in public view.
What the Mamdani Oct. 7 Statement Said
The mayor opened by calling the day deeply painful for many New Yorkers. In his own post on X, he described the 2023 assault as “horrific war crimes.” He wrote that Hamas killed more than 1,100 Israelis and abducted 251 others, and that he grieves with neighbors who still carry the loss.
Casualty figures differ slightly between accounts. CBS News describes about 1,200 people killed and more than 250 hostages taken, while the mayor’s text uses the lower number of dead. This article attributes each figure to whoever stated it.
The message then broadened. Mamdani wrote that suffering did not begin or end that day, accused Israel’s government of an ongoing genocide in Gaza, and criticized what he called occupation and apartheid. He also said American tax dollars and arms shipments make the U.S. government complicit. Fox 5 New York published the statement in full, and it matches the passages above.
According to CBS News, the statement cited more than 74,000 deaths in Gaza as recorded by the Gaza Health Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas. The posted text also says more than 1,400 Palestinians have been killed since the so-called ceasefire. Israel has rejected the genocide label, and the term remains one of the most contested in the debate.
Democrats Who Criticized the Message
Several Democratic officials said the statement paid too little attention to Hamas. CBS News reported that Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida accused the mayor of “desecrating the memory of murdered, innocent Jews.” Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey said Mamdani was blaming the victims of the attack.
Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop called the message inappropriate and needlessly inflammatory. Rep. Daniel Goldman of New York described it as reprehensible and argued that the mayor was stating disputed allegations as fact while claiming to grieve with mourners.
Rep. Richie Torres of the Bronx posted on X without naming Mamdani. He urged critics of Israel to set their anger aside for a day and offer condolences to the Israeli victims of Hamas.
A Different Democratic Voice
Not every Democrat responded the same way. Brad Lander, the party’s nominee in Goldman’s Manhattan and Brooklyn district, wrote on Substack the day before. He condemned Hamas but warned against a “flattening of empathy,” saying people can mourn the victims while recognizing the imbalance of power between Israel and the Palestinians. Lander’s post came before the mayor’s statement and was not written as a direct reply.
Advocacy Groups and Israeli Officials Respond
The Anti-Defamation League was among the first to respond. CNN reported that CEO Jonathan Greenblatt accused the mayor of using a day of mourning to repeat familiar anti-Zionist arguments. Greenblatt also noted that the statement never uses the word “Jews.” CNN added that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee called the message a “disgraceful moral failure.”
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also criticized the statement. VIN News quoted him saying the day should honor more than 1,200 civilians killed by Hamas, including 46 Americans, and that “There is NO genocide in Gaza.” Ofir Akunis, Israel’s consul general in New York, called the statement a disgrace and an insult to the memory of those killed, per CBS News.
Background on Mamdani’s Position
Mamdani has opposed U.S. aid to Israel for years and says criticism of Israel is separate from antisemitism. Before the 2025 Democratic mayoral primary, he said he would seek the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on an International Criminal Court warrant if Netanyahu visited the city. Over the summer, he acknowledged the city has no power to carry out such a warrant. The United States does not recognize the court’s authority, and Israel has called the accusations false.
Last month, Netanyahu told the United Nations General Assembly that many Jews no longer feel safe in New York and accused Mamdani of antisemitism. The mayor rejects that claim. He has said the city has no room for hate, and he recently announced an antisemitism plan that includes a dedicated hotline and money for security upgrades at synagogues.
Asked last month whether he should soften his language, Mamdani said criticizing a government’s policy is not the same as bigotry toward a people. He added that he wants New York to remain a city where Jewish life can flourish.
What Is Still Unclear
CBS News said it had contacted the mayor’s office for comment, and the reports reviewed here include no further response. CNN reported that Mamdani planned to attend a vigil on Wednesday evening and then meet Palestinian New Yorkers, according to his public schedule.
The competing claims about Gaza, including the genocide charge and the casualty counts, come from the parties involved and are not settled by this reporting. Readers can compare the original statement with the responses through the linked sources.
Key Facts at a Glance
| Detail | What is verified |
|---|---|
| Who | New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani |
| When | Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, the third anniversary of the Hamas attack |
| Where posted | The mayor’s official X account |
| Main content | Mourned Hamas’ victims, then accused Israel of genocide and apartheid and criticized U.S. arms shipments |
| Democratic critics | Reps. Wasserman Schultz, Gottheimer, Goldman and Torres; Jersey City Mayor Fulop |
| Other critics | ADL, AIPAC, Ambassador Mike Huckabee, Israeli Consul General Ofir Akunis |
| Disputed point | Whether Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to genocide |
Mayor Zohran Mamdani mourned the Oct. 7 victims but spent most of his statement criticizing Israel and U.S. support for it.
Several Democrats, advocacy groups and Israeli officials condemned the message, while Brad Lander urged empathy for both sides.
The mayor has long said criticism of a government is not bigotry toward a people.
Frequently Asked Questions
1What did the mayor say on the anniversary?
He mourned the people Hamas killed and abducted, then accused Israel of ongoing genocide, occupation and apartheid, and said the U.S. government is complicit through arms shipments.
2Which Democrats criticized the statement?
Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Josh Gottheimer, Daniel Goldman and Richie Torres, along with Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, according to CBS News. Torres did not name Mamdani.
3Did any Democrats take a different view?
Brad Lander, the party’s nominee in Goldman’s district, condemned Hamas and wrote that people can mourn the victims while acknowledging the power imbalance between Israel and the Palestinians. He wrote this before the mayor’s statement.
4How has Mamdani defended his stance before?
He has said criticism of a prime minister or a government’s policy is separate from bigotry toward a people, and that his job is to keep New York a place where Jewish life can flourish.
5Has the mayor’s office responded to the criticism?
CBS News said it had asked his office for comment, and the reports reviewed contain no response. CNN reported he planned to attend a vigil that evening and meet Palestinian New Yorkers.
