Mamdani draws bipartisan backlash for criticizing Israel on Oct. 7 anniversary

Mayor Zohran Mamdani's statement marking the third anniversary of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel sparked outrage Wednesday — and racked up millions of views on social media.

Mamdani is a longtime critic of Israel and has been especially fervent in decrying its treatment of Palestinians since the 2023 attack. But his anniversary statement garnered particularly pointed pushback because of its timing, with critics arguing Wednesday was the kind of occasion when elected leaders should avoid divisiveness.