Mamdani criticized for statement mourning Oct. 7 and condemning Israel

Reported by CBS News. The paragraphs below are the opening of that article, reproduced word for word — not a summary, and not the whole piece.

A statement by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani that recognized three years since Hamas' "horrific" attack on Israel — and extensively criticized Israel's "ongoing genocide" in the Gaza Strip — has drawn fury from some Democrats.

Mamdani is a longstanding and vehement critic of Israel's actions during its war with Hamas in Gaza, and an opponent of U.S. aid to Israel — issues that have divided Democrats nationwide and drawn criticism for the mayor from moderates, leaders of Jewish groups and Israeli officials. Mamdani has long defended his stance, saying criticism of Israel is distinct from antisemitism.

Wednesday's statement by Mamdani began by calling it a "profoundly painful" day for many New Yorkers, noting Hamas' "horrific war crimes" on Oct. 7, 2023 , including the killing of about 1,200 people in Israel and the taking of more than 250 hostages. He added: "We grieve alongside our many friends and neighbors who still carry that unthinkable loss."

The mayor then shifted to criticizing Israel for its "devastating, ongoing genocide in Gaza" — noting the more than 74,000 deaths recorded in the enclave, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry .

"Many New Yorkers are reckoning with this unbearable grief, and we mourn alongside them — all while knowing that our tax dollars fund these war crimes," Mamdani said.

"Three years later, we must refuse to accept a world in which occupation and apartheid continue, where war crimes are met with impunity, and our federal government continues its complicity with every arms shipment," Mamdani added.