Zohran Mamdani, New York City’s mayor, ignited widespread criticism on Wednesday morning after posting a social media message ostensibly commemorating the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israelis. While the post briefly condemned Hamas and expressed sympathy for its victims, the majority of the statement denounced Israel’s actions in Gaza as an "ongoing genocide," criticized the continuation of occupation and apartheid, and accused the U.S. federal government of complicity through arms shipments. The statement drew sharp rebuke from Ammiel Hirsch, president of the New York Board of Rabbis, who called it "so offensive to so many Jews that it is hard to describe how offensive it is" and labeled it a "moral obscenity." Hirsch elaborated on this characterization, drawing a parallel to how it would be obscene to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11 with only a token nod to victims before launching into a lengthy critique of U.S. foreign policy.
He emphasized that the violence of Oct. 7, like Sept. 11, was unprovoked and targeted innocent civilians, many of whom were peace activists and left-leaning individuals working to foster coexistence. Hirsch detailed atrocities committed by Hamas, including sexual violence, mutilation, the murder of parents and children, and beheadings, citing firsthand knowledge from forensic reports and personal visits to victims’ bedrooms. He argued that Hamas bore responsibility for initiating the violence, breaking a cease-fire on the eve of Oct. 7, and thus forfeited any moral claim to retaliate.
Hirsch further accused Mamdani of hypocrisy, noting the mayor’s long-standing anti-Israel activism, including severing ties with the pro-peace Jewish group J Street, writing supportive rap lyrics about individuals convicted of funding Hamas, and issuing a post-Oct. 7 statement that condemned Israel without mentioning Hamas. Ultimately, Hirsch rejected the genocide allegation against Israel as both false and sinister, asserting that genocide requires intent to destroy a people based on identity, not actions, and that Israel’s conduct in Gaza does not meet this legal or moral threshold.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing