Israel Rebukes NYC Mayoral Nominee as 'Mouthpiece for Hamas'
On Oct. 7, Israel’s Foreign Ministry posted a blistering statement calling New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani 'a mouthpiece for Hamas propaganda' after Mamdani marked the two‑year anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks with criticism of Israel and the U.S. The statement quotes the ministry saying Mamdani 'excuses terror and normalizes antisemitism'; Mamdani simultaneously acknowledged the Oct. 7 massacre (citing 'more than 1,100' Israelis killed and '250' kidnapped) while accusing Israel of causing a Gaza death toll he said 'far exceeds 67,000' and calling to end 'occupation and apartheid.'
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International
📌 Key Facts
- Israel Foreign Ministry publicly posted the condemnation on Oct. 7 (second anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks).
- The ministry called Zohran Mamdani 'a mouthpiece for Hamas propaganda' and said 'by repeating Hamas’s lies, he excuses terror and normalizes antisemitism.'
- Mamdani stated he mourns the Israeli victims ('more than 1,100' killed, '250' kidnapped) while criticizing Israeli military actions and citing a Gaza death toll he said 'far exceeds 67,000.'
📚 Contextual Background
- The proposed plan specified that Hamas would release the remaining hostages taken on October 7, 2023 within 72 hours of an agreement, and that Israel would release 250 Palestinians serving life sentences plus 1,700 other Gazans detained after the start of the conflict as part of the exchange.
- A 2025 U.S. peace plan specified that Hamas would release 48 remaining hostages, about 20 of whom were believed to be alive, within three days.