By Labeling Israel’s Defense “Genocide,” Mamdani Showed Judgment Unfit For New York’s Highest Office & Disrespect For Victims Of True Atrocities.
Wednesday, October 7, 2025, 10:35 A.M. ET. 3 Minute Read, By Jennifer Hodges: Englebrook Independent News,
MANHATTAN, NY.- On October 7, 2025, New York City mayoral candidate and State Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani released a statement marking the two-year anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks on Israel. While he opened by condemning “that horrific war crime” and lamenting the lives lost and hostages still held, he went on to assail Israel’s military conduct, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli government of waging a “genocidal war” in Gaza and blasting U.S. complicity.
This rhetorical turn drew swift denunciations. The Israeli Foreign Ministry blasted Mamdani’s remarks as “shameful,” accusing him of acting “as a mouthpiece for Hamas propaganda” and “spreading Hamas’ fake genocide campaign.” They claimed that by echoing such accusations, he “excuses terror and normalizes antisemitism.” Critics across the political spectrum questioned his judgment, tone, and fitness to assume executive leadership for a diverse city deeply invested in maintaining safe relations with Jewish New Yorkers and pro-Israel constituencies.
A responsible leader can, and should, condemn terrorism unequivocally while still raising concerns about human rights and civilian suffering. Yet Mamdani’s statement crossed into moral equivalence by positioning Israel’s use of force as tantamount to the original barbarism of Hamas.
That framing risks obscuring a critical distinction: Hamas’s October 7th assault on civilians, with mass murder and hostage takings, was a straightforward war crime under international law. Israel’s response, no less controversial, is part of a war in which it claims to be exercising a right of defense. The invocation of “genocide” is not merely strong language; it carries the gravest legal and historical weight, and to use it so liberally in this context invites overreach, polarization, and delegitimization of any balanced discourse.
Furthermore, Mamdani’s posture undermines trust in his ability to govern fairly. New York City is home to one of the largest Jewish populations outside Israel; many Jewish and pro-Israel New Yorkers will rightly question whether someone who so harshly condemns Israel’s war footing can represent their communal interests with confidence. His statement signals a willingness to alienate entire communities rather than seek inclusive bridges.
Given all this, Zohran Mamdani is not the right person to be mayor of New York City. His October 7th statement was not just ill-advised; it was morally unsteady, politically tone-deaf, and a disqualifying misstep for anyone aspiring to represent all New Yorkers, regardless of faith or background.
Editor’s Note:
This publication unequivocally condemns New York Assemblymember and Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s October 7 statement for its reckless moral equivalence between a terrorist massacre and a sovereign nation’s right to defend itself. While public debate over the conflict is vital, invoking the term “genocide” to describe Israel’s wartime conduct trivializes actual genocides and inflames division within our city. Attribution for factual reporting in this article includes CBS News, The Guardian, The New York Post, and Reuters coverage dated October 7, 2025. Mamdani is unfit to be the Mayor of New York City.
