Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani declined to condemn Hamas when reporters asked him if he supports Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's declaration that the terror group must be eliminated and all hostages released.
Following Netanyahu's Friday address to the United Nations General Assembly, where the Israeli leader vowed Israel would "finish the job" against Hamas, the mayoral candidate avoided labeling the organization as terrorists. A reporter told the New York City mayoral hopeful that New Yorkers feel he is not condemning Hamas and calling for the release of the hostages, then asked if he agrees with the Israeli prime minister's statement that "Hamas is a terror organization that needs to be destroyed." To that, Mamdani responded: "I am not going to echo the words of Benjamin Netanyahu. I can, however, share my own words and say them right here, which is that my politics is built on a universality. I can think of no better illustration of that than from the words of the hostage families themselves: Everyone for everyone," he said. "What has been so infuriating to me and so many New Yorkers, frankly, is Benjamin Netanyahu's use of the hostages as a justification to continue a war that has only continued to endanger the lives of those very hostages, as well as of so many Palestinians."
Mamdani can't even condemn Hamas and this guy is about to run NYC.
Reporter: Do you condemn Hamas?
Mamdani: "I cannot echo Netanyahu's words… we need 'all for all' (Palestinian and Israeli hostages)…"
Good luck NYC. pic.twitter.com/36rdyLKC37
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) September 29, 2025
Netanyahu's earlier warning indicated Hamas would merely "repeat the atrocities" of October 7, 2023, without complete eradication, while the Israeli leader also rejected Palestinian statehood recognition that multiple US allies endorsed before the General Assembly session.
Previously, the mayoral front-runner has characterized Israel as an apartheid state and endorsed the controversial BDS movement targeting the Jewish state through boycotts, divestment, and sanctions, according to The New York Post. Netanyahu has faced vocal criticism from the candidate, who has pledged that an NYPD arrest of the Israeli prime minister would occur should he visit New York City during a Mamdani mayoralty.
Plans to abandon the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's antisemitism definition emerged recently from the socialist candidate, who argues the framework wrongly equates Israel criticism and Zionism opposition with antisemitism.
"Of course, Zohran Mamdani has repeatedly condemned Hamas," his campaign spokesperson, Dora Pekec, said. "On numerous occasions, he has described October 7th for what it was: a war crime. This consistency comes from his values and his belief in a shared humanity for all."
