NRT briefing
Zohran Mamdani’s Oct. 7 statement was ‘disgusting’ and an insult to Jews: Joe Concha
Based on reporting by Washington Examiner.
The Brief
Washington Examiner columnist Joe Concha criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's statement on the three-year anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, calling it "disgusting" and an insult to Jews. Concha made the remarks Saturday on Fox Business's Kudlow, saying the statement was "intentionally insulting" and "designed to gaslight the Jewish community." He noted that Mamdani's statement never used the word "Jew" or "hostage," calling the omission "all by design" and suggesting Mamdani cares more about the "anti-Semitic far left" than Jewish New Yorkers.
Mamdani's statement acknowledged the Oct. 7 attack, in which Hamas killed more than 1,100 Israelis and abducted 251 others, while also describing Israel's military response as an "ongoing genocide" in Gaza, citing more than 74,000 Palestinians killed, including over 21,000 children. The mayor also referenced more than 1,400 Palestinians killed since the ceasefire and said U.S. tax dollars fund "war crimes." Concha's comments came as Jewish New Yorkers continue to face hate crimes, he said.
NRT commentary
How We See It
Joe Concha's rebuke of Zohran Mamdani's Oct. 7 statement highlights a troubling pattern among progressive politicians who contort the anniversary of a massacre into a platform for anti-Israel rhetoric. Mamdani's omission of the word "hostage" is not an oversight; it is a deliberate framing that minimizes the ongoing ordeal of Israeli captives while focusing solely on Palestinian casualties. The mayor's implication that American tax dollars fund "war crimes" is a serious charge that goes beyond the facts, and it risks inflaming tensions rather than fostering understanding.
This episode underscores a broader problem: elected officials in major cities should represent all constituents, including Jewish communities that feel increasingly targeted. When a mayor's official statement on a terrorist attack reads more like a polemic against Israel than a condolence for the victims, it signals whose approval matters more. Concha is right to call it an insult—not just to Jews, but to the basic standards of decency expected from a public servant. New Yorkers deserve better than a mayor who uses tragedy as a prop for political posturing.
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