New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani publicly condemned activists for trivializing Hamas’s brutal October 7 massacre while his then-fiancée was actively endorsing social media posts celebrating the very same terror attack he claimed to oppose.
Story Overview
- Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, liked Instagram posts praising Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack that killed 1,200 people
- She endorsed content from the Times Square rally Mamdani publicly criticized for “making light” of the massacre
- City Hall refuses to address the contradiction, only reiterating Mamdani condemns Hamas as a terrorist organization
- Duwaji declined all requests for comment on her social media activity celebrating the attacks
Wife Endorsed Posts Celebrating Hamas Terror Attack
Rama Duwaji, a Syrian-American artist who married Mamdani in early 2025, used her personal Instagram account to like multiple posts glorifying Hamas’s October 7, 2023 terror rampage. On the day Hamas militants stormed across the border killing approximately 1,200 Israelis and abducting 251 hostages, Duwaji liked a Slow Factory Instagram post celebrating “resistance” and warning that Gazans would be “punished for wanting freedom from apartheid” if Israel retaliated. The post framed the massacre as legitimate anti-colonial struggle rather than the war crime Mamdani would later publicly call it.
Endorsed Rally Her Husband Condemned
Duwaji’s social media activity extended to supporting the exact Times Square rally her future husband criticized. On October 8, 2023, just one day after the attacks, The People’s Forum and Democratic Socialists of America organized a rally using the slogan “from the river to the sea” and defending the massacre as resistance. Then-State Assemblymember Mamdani publicly condemned the rally for “making light” of Hamas’s slaughter of civilians. Yet Duwaji liked multiple posts from The People’s Forum promoting this same rally, including content featuring chants that “every colonized people has the right to self-defense” in direct reference to the October 7 attacks.
Pattern Reveals Deep Ideological Alignment
The contradiction between Mamdani’s public statements and his wife’s online behavior raises legitimate questions about the sincerity of his condemnations. Mamdani has repeatedly stated that Hamas is a terrorist organization and October 7 was a horrific war crime. However, his closest personal relationship is with someone who celebrated these exact atrocities in real time, not through retrospective political analysis but through immediate endorsement as the bodies were still being counted. This pattern undermines the credibility of an elected official already under scrutiny for sponsoring legislation targeting Jewish organizations and characterizing Israel’s defensive war as “genocidal.”
City Hall Stonewalls on Troubling Questions
When confronted by Jewish Insider’s investigation documenting Duwaji’s activity, City Hall offered only a boilerplate response reiterating Mamdani’s public position without addressing the obvious inconsistency. The mayor’s office refused to answer whether Mamdani discussed October 7 with his then-girlfriend at the time she was liking posts praising it, or how he reconciles his public condemnations with his wife’s celebration of terror. Duwaji herself declined multiple requests for comment. For New Yorkers concerned about rising antisemitism and leadership that takes terrorism seriously, this silence speaks volumes about priorities in an administration that increasingly appears to say one thing publicly while tolerating radical anti-Israel sentiment privately.
Political Consequences for NYC Leadership
This revelation deepens existing concerns about Mamdani’s relationship with New York’s Jewish community and his administration’s approach to combating antisemitism. The mayor already faced criticism from Israel’s Foreign Ministry, which called his October 7 anniversary statement “shameful” and accused him of spreading Hamas propaganda. With large Jewish and Arab-Muslim populations, New York requires leadership that can credibly navigate these tensions. When a mayor’s spouse actively endorsed celebration of the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust while he claimed to condemn it, voters deserve answers about whose values actually guide City Hall decision-making and whether public statements reflect genuine conviction or political convenience.
Sources:
Zohran Mamdani’s wife liked social media posts celebrating Oct. 7 – Jewish Insider
Israeli Foreign Ministry shames Zohran Mamdani’s statement on October 7 anniversary – WJLA
