'Our resilience is in overcoming twats like you:' Mayor Mamdani faces backlash over Tisha B'Av message
Earlier this week, the mayor walked back earlier campaign rhetoric suggesting he would seek to enforce the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani drew criticism on social media Thursday after posting a message marking Tisha B'Av, the Jewish day of mourning, just days after an anti-Israel video he shared online generated widespread attention.
"I wish a peaceful Tisha B'Av to the Jewish residents of New York in the five boroughs," Mamdani wrote on X. "From tonight's sunset until tomorrow, mourners will pause and reflect on the history and resilience of the Jewish people."
https://x.com/i/web/status/2080063411337978114
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The post quickly attracted millions of views and prompted criticism from some Jewish and Israeli users. Some replies accused the mayor of hypocrisy, while others questioned the sincerity of the gesture.
Moshe Safran, president of a Jewish educational organization, also criticized the post, saying Mamdani's rhetoric on Israel has contributed to concerns within the Jewish community. In a statement shared online, Safran argued that the mayor's message conflicted with his past criticism of Israel and called on him to change his approach.
The post also became the subject of satire on X, where users asked the platform's AI chatbot, Grok, to comment on Mamdani's message. The chatbot responded by describing the post as overly generic, comparing it to a message generated by artificial intelligence.
The controversy follows another recent dispute involving Mamdani's comments about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Earlier this week, the mayor acknowledged that he does not have the legal authority to order Netanyahu's arrest during a planned visit to New York for the UN General Assembly, walking back earlier campaign rhetoric suggesting he would seek to enforce the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant.
Legal experts have noted that US authorities do not recognize the ICC's jurisdiction in such cases. In an opinion article published by The Wall Street Journal, former NYPD Legal Bureau commander Paul Mauro argued that any attempt by a New York mayor to arrest a visiting foreign head of government would have no legal basis and could violate federal law.