New York City mayoral candidate faces attacks after comments about Hamas

NEW YORK – Mr Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, faced vitriolic attacks that suggested he was a terrorist sympathiser after he gave an indirect answer to a question on Oct 15 about whether Hamas should lay down arms and step aside in the Gaza Strip.

Representative Elise Stefanik, a Republican ally of President Donald Trump and likely candidate for governor of New York in 2026, called Mr Mamdani a “jihadist”.

Representative Laura Gillen, a Democrat from Long Island who has opposed Mr Mamdani’s candidacy, said he was “pro-Hamas” and “unfit to hold any office in the United States”.

And a top adviser to former Governor Andrew Cuomo,

Mr Mamdani’s leading campaign rival

, criticised Mr Mamdani for refusing to “denounce a terrorist organisation”, though he has done so repeatedly.

Mr Mamdani’s harsh criticism of Israel and vocal support for Palestinian rights has been a lightning rod for months in the race for mayor. Still, the attacks marked a new level of acrimony in the race’s final weeks.

His allies described the rhetoric as xenophobic and dangerous.

“We should call these comments out for what they are: lazy Islamophobic attacks on the Democratic nominee poised to become our city’s first Muslim mayor,” said Ms Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for Mamdani.

Mr Mamdani faced the question about Hamas during an interview on Fox News that aired on Oct 15. His comments attracted attention in part because he has been one of the most outspoken voices on the American left commenting on the war in Gaza for two years.

He answered by saying he wanted to focus on

addressing affordability in New York City

and that he hoped for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Pressed further by the host, Ms Martha MacCallum, Mr Mamdani said, “I don’t really have opinions about the future of Hamas and Israel beyond the question of justice and safety and the fact that anything has to abide by international law, and that applies to Hamas, that applies to the Israeli military, and that applies to anyone you could ask me about.”

The reaction from Ms Stefanik, long known for making incendiary comments, was blistering. She said in a radio interview on Oct 16 that Mr Mamdani was a “a full-blown jihadist who has called for the genocide of Jews” and called on Governor Kathy Hochul, who has endorsed Mr Mamdani, to condemn his remarks.

Ms Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said on Oct 16 that Mr Mamdani’s comments reflected how the Democratic Party was catering to “Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens and violent criminals”.

Mr Mamdani has not called for genocide against Jews or expressed support for Hamas. The term jihadist refers to a Muslim person engaged in a holy war against enemies of Islam.

Mr Mamdani has condemned violence in the Middle East and said that his criticism of Israel was based on his concerns for Palestinians and a “shared sense of humanity”.

Mr Mamdani has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and said that he does not think it should be an explicitly Jewish state, but rather a place of equal rights for all.

He has also said that as mayor, he would have Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested if he visits New York City.

Mr Cuomo, who is running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to Mr Mamdani, has described him as a “terrorist sympathiser.”

Mr Cuomo has raised concerns over a reference in a song Mr Mamdani released eight years ago to the “Holy Land Five,” the leaders of a Muslim charity group in Texas who were convicted of providing support to Hamas.

Mr Curtis Sliwa, the Republican nominee, has said that he does not plan to criticise Mr Mamdani over his faith and has instead argued that he is weak on crime and other issues.

On Oct 16, Ms Stefanik reiterated her criticism of Mr Mamdani on social media, claiming that his stance on Hamas was the reason that prominent Democrats like Senator Chuck Schumer and Representative Hakeem Jeffries have not endorsed him.

The comments from Ms Stefanik came as she faced criticism over her connections to a Young Republicans group in New York whose members sent offensive text messages that were revealed by Politico. The messages used racist and misogynistic language and expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler.

An adviser to Ms Stefanik said that the congresswoman was “absolutely appalled” by the messages and called for members who were involved to step down.

Ms Hochul said on MSNBC on Oct 15 that Ms Stefanik and Mr J.D. Vance, the vice-president, should more forcefully condemn the group.

“Why don’t you say, ‘That’s not who we are as a party, and these people do not belong in our party’?” Ms Hochul said. “But no, they just try to act like it’s ordinary behaviour in the Republican Party. Maybe it is. Maybe that’s what’s very telling.”

Earlier this week, Ms Hochul criticised Ms Stefanik’s previous attacks on Mr Mamdani and said she was contributing to a toxic political climate.

“Look at your inflammatory words,” she said. “Maybe they have an effect on these young people.”

Mr Mamdani has faced attacks and threats throughout his mayoral campaign, raising concerns about his safety. A Texas man was charged in September with threatening Mr Mamdani and sending him messages filled with anti-Muslim insults calling him a terrorist.

Ms Gillen, a moderate Democrat who represents a suburban swing district, has criticised Mr Mamdani’s campaign and declined to endorse him.

On Oct 15, Ms Gillen posted a link on social media to a New York Post story about Mr Mamdani’s comments on Fox News and wrote, “Shame!”

In a statement on Oct 16, Ms Gillen defended her remark, saying, “Whether or not to disarm terrorists is not a hard question, and I’m going to call out anyone who gets it wrong.”

Mr Lincoln Restler, a Democratic City Council member from Brooklyn who supports Mr Mamdani, responded to Ms Gillen’s post, saying that he had helped organise people to knock on doors in her district in 2024 to help her get elected. He told Ms Gillen that he was disappointed by her comments.

“You don’t need to support Zohran, but don’t lie about his positions and inaccurately vilify him,” he said. “Do better.” NYTIMES