NEW YORK — Democratic mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani welcomed the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas on Monday, but also took clear shots at Israel over the “lasting stain” he said the country’s U.S.-backed war in Gaza will leave behind.
Mamdani’s continued criticism of Israel and the U.S. set him apart from his mayoral race opponents, independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, who focused their ceasefire statements mostly on celebrating Monday morning’s release of 20 remaining Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity in Gaza.
In his statement, Mamdani, who’s polling as the favorite to win the Nov. 4 mayoral election, said the release of the hostages was “profoundly moving.” He noted the deal also provided for the release of some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons, some of whom will be able to join their relatives for “the first days in Gaza without relentless Israeli bombardment.”
But Mamdani’s statement, issued in the late afternoon, stressed the “long difficult work of reconstruction” is only beginning.
“We have watched as our tax dollars have funded a genocide,” Mamdani said, referencing a finding by a United Nations commission about Israel’s war in Gaza, which has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
“The moral and human cost will be a lasting stain and requires accountability and real examination of our collective conscience and our government’s policies,” Mamdani’s statement continued before declaring: “We must work towards a future built upon justice, one without occupation and apartheid, and for a world where every person can live with safety and dignity.”
Israel launched the war in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 terror attack, during which the group’s militants killed 1,200 Israelis and took hundreds hostage.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist, has long been a vocal critic of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. On the mayoral campaign trail, Cuomo and others have accused Mamdani of amplifying antisemitism with his persistent critiques of Israel, an accusation he has denied.
Earlier Monday, Cuomo, who’s polling as the runner-up to Mamdani, blasted the Democratic mayoral nominee for not issuing a statement about the ceasefire agreement earlier than he did.
“His silence speaks volumes,” Cuomo wrote in a post on X.
The 20 remaining Israeli hostages were returned around 5 a.m. Monday New York time.
Within hours of the release of the hostages, a long list of politicians in New York, which has the largest Jewish population outside Israel, issued statements lauding the ceasefire. Among them was Cuomo, an ardent supporter of Israel, who said the development is “more than a diplomatic success.”
“It is a moral moment, a reminder of our shared humanity and the sacred value of every life,” the ex-governor said in a statement.
“We must never forget the terrorist act that brought us here, and we must stand together to say, with one voice: never forget and never again. Terrorism has no place in Gaza, in the Middle East, or anywhere in the world.”
Sliwa, the Republican mayoral nominee who’s polling behind both Mamdani and Cuomo, offered thanks to President Donald Trump, whose administration helped broker the ceasefire deal.
“We pray that these hostages coming home can recover, and live peacefully again. We are proud of President Trump and all involved for making this peace deal happen,” Sliwa wrote on X.
As a fierce critic of Israel, Mamdani has said he would as mayor direct the NYPD to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on war crime charges leveled by the International Criminal Court.
On Sunday, as word of the hostage releases started circulating, Mamdani posted a photo of himself running in the NYC Gaza 5K race through Prospect Park, which raised money for the United Nations’ main aid agency for Palestinian refugees.
“This morning I ran the NYC Gaza 5K in Prospect Park for the third time, alongside the Harlem Run Club, to raise money for @unrwausa, which delivers critical humanitarian aid and services to Palestinians in Gaza,” he wrote on X, using a link for the UN group. “I hope you’ll join me in donating.”
Mayor Adams, who abandoned his bid for reelection last month, joined Cuomo and Sliwa in celebrating the release of the hostages without criticizing Israel, saying in a statement that “our hearts are filled with joy as an end to the war in Gaza appears to be on the horizon and families have finally been united.”
“We pray that this news will bring lasting peace, justice and prosperity to Israelis and Palestinians alike,” Adams said.
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