NYC Official's October 7 Statement Sparks Controversy With Israel Criticism

A statement attributed to New York City official Mamdani marking the October 7 anniversary has drawn widespread attention, receiving over 5 million views. The statement includes one brief paragraph acknowledging the Hamas attack that killed over 1,100 Israelis and resulted in 251 kidnappings, followed by extensive criticism of Israel. The statement describes Israeli actions in Gaza as "genocide," claims over 74,000 Palestinian deaths including more than 21,000 children, and accuses the U.S. government of complicity through weapons shipments. The official called for rejecting "a world in which occupation and apartheid continue" and condemned what he termed ongoing war crimes.