New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing a new political headache after social media activity from his wife resurfaced online and sparked intense criticism. The controversy centers on Instagram posts liked by Rama Duwaji, a Syrian American artist married to the mayor, that appeared to praise or justify Hamas’ October 7, 2023 terrorist attack on Israel.
The attack carried out by Hamas militants was one of the deadliest assaults in Israel’s history.
According to a review of social media activity, Duwaji liked several posts related to the attack shortly after it occurred. One of those posts was published by an organization called The Slow Factory on the day of the assault.
BREAKING: Jewish Insider reveals that Zohran Mamdani’s wife was mass-liking Instagram posts on October 7th, celebrating the massacre in real time.
This is who they are. pic.twitter.com/dppoZUwrFl
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) March 6, 2026
The post included images taken from livestreamed footage during the attack. One image showed a bulldozer being used to breach the barrier separating Israel from Gaza. Another image showed attackers riding on a captured Israeli military vehicle.
Text placed over the images described the attack as “breaking the walls of apartheid and military occupation” and referenced “resisting apartheid since 1948.” The post’s caption went further, suggesting that any retaliation by Israel would punish Gazans “for wanting freedom from apartheid.”
Duwaji liked the post using her personal Instagram account, which she has previously used to share political artwork and commentary criticizing Israeli policies. Mayor Mamdani has interacted with the account in the past.
The discovery has generated renewed scrutiny because Mamdani himself has tried to draw a line between his criticism of Israel and the actions of Hamas. In public statements, he has described the October 7 attack as a horrific war crime and has repeatedly said Hamas is a terrorist organization.
A spokesperson for City Hall reiterated that position when asked about the controversy.
“Mayor Mamdani has been clear and consistent: Hamas is a terrorist organization, October 7th was a horrific war crime, and he has condemned that violence unequivocally,” the spokesperson said.
Duwaji did not respond to multiple requests for comment about the posts.
Additional scrutiny has also focused on posts from The People’s Forum, another activist group whose content Duwaji reportedly liked around the same time. Those posts promoted a rally held in Times Square shortly after the attack, where activists expressed support for what they called Palestinian resistance.
Some of the images from that rally included the slogan “from the river to the sea,” a phrase widely interpreted by critics as calling for the elimination of Israel.
At the time, Mamdani publicly criticized that rally for appearing to make light of the massacre of civilians. However, the resurfacing of his wife’s online activity has reopened questions about how closely the mayor’s personal circle aligns with the more extreme voices within the pro Palestinian activist movement.
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