Mamdani's wife will fly to Syria and Lebanon, accompanied by New York police officers
The flight, scheduled to depart on September 20th, is intended for destinations designated by the US State Department at the highest warning level due to dangerous conditions
The New York Post reports that Rama Duwaji, the wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, will fly next month for a private visit to Syria and Lebanon, accompanied by security personnel from the New York Police Department’s (NYPD) protective detail, funded by taxpayers.
The flight, scheduled to depart on September 20, is headed to destinations subject to the U.S. State Department’s most severe travel warnings because of dangerous conditions. A source familiar with the security arrangements said that Duwaji, a 29-year-old Syrian-American artist, requested police protection even though she traveled abroad last month without an NYPD escort. The source stressed: “This is not an official mission, and there is no benefit to the city.”
The mayor’s office confirmed both the planned trip and the participation of the police security detail: “At the recommendation of the NYPD, the mayor’s wife’s security detail will accompany her as she travels to visit family in Syria and Lebanon.”
The mayor’s office declined to provide further details about the flight or address whether the trip is solely for family purposes. Duwaji has previously been at the center of public controversies over her pro-Palestinian positions and her participation in various events abroad.
The report prompted sharp criticism from figures in the Jewish community. Dov Hikind, a former New York State Assemblyman from Brooklyn and founder of Americans Against Antisemitism, strongly criticized the decision to send police officers with her. “We’re putting our police officers at risk. They’ll be viewed as the enemy; these are war zones,” Hikind said. He added sarcastically that Duwaji herself would not need protection in those places: “Duwaji doesn’t need security. She’ll receive a hero’s welcome and will be protected by Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis. Duwaji will be fine.”