New York — New York’s mayor marked the third anniversary of Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israel on Wednesday with a statement that has sparked backlash among some Jewish leaders.
In his statement, Mayor Zohran Mamdani acknowledged the “horrific war crimes of October 7” while also accusing Israel of committing war crimes and genocide in Gaza.
The mayor was met with boos as he arrived at a vigil in remembrance of October 7 on Wednesday night in Union Square, video from CNN affiliate WABC showed. He is set to attend a meeting with Palestinian New Yorkers following the vigil, according to his public schedule.
“This day is profoundly painful for so many New Yorkers. It marks three years since the horrific war crimes of October 7. On that day, Hamas killed more than 1,100 Israelis and abducted 251 others. We grieve alongside our many friends and neighbors who still carry that unthinkable loss,” Mamdani wrote in his statement.
There are ethical standards. They will get sued, no possibility of it not happening. You advocate for that?
Ethical standards for thee but not for me, said the administration. tRump himself personally slanders and libels private citizens regularly, and pretty well anybody he doesn’t like without hesitation or account. At a certain point the standards are being weaponized, just like their politics has done with civility. I think if they took a principaled stand and got sued, they could win, and I do support that actually. Will that happen? No.
This has nothing to do with trump. These standards have existed for a century.
What an absurd assertion, it absolutely has something to do with him and the precedents set by his complete disregard for if not distainful and explicit abuse of the standards you seem to want to apply selectively. You’re not wrong that those have been the standards for a century, and now they have changed because he has set the new standard with his behaviour, society will have to adjust accordingly. Not unlike his party breaking procedural precedents by selectively adhereing to them as is advantageous to stack a supreme court that would set the stage for tRump’s authoritarian power grab. Choosing to cherry pick and talk like these things exist in a vacuum only exasperates the demolition of both legal and social norms and standards, and cements the new ones. It even conveniently ignores his prolific use of frivolous SLAPP suits to silence valid legal action against him, or coerce favourable actions and manipulate behaviour of private companies he has grievances with (most of which are dropped or settled when attention dies down) quite directly corrupting the administration of justice. Your prescription translates to just let it happen, if you admit it or not.
Yes, I advocate for having higher ethical standards even if it means a genocidal regime sues you. Hearing someone make excuses for pedophiles and genociders as an appeal to ethical standards is pathetic.