Mamdani defends wife when pressed on work with author who cheered Oct. 7 attacks
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New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani defended his wife, Rama Duwaji, at a news conference Friday when she was asked about her work with an author who called the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks “spectacular” and described Jewish Israelis as “rootless, soulless ghouls.”
During the conference, a reporter asked Mamdani whether his wife was aware of the writer’s statements before taking the job and whether such statements were acceptable.
“I think this rhetoric is clearly unacceptable. I think it should be condemned.” Mamdani stated.
“As is common for freelance illustrators, the First Lady was commissioned by a third party to illustrate a book excerpt. She never met the author, never met him, and did not see the tweets that you refer to. And we are in our administration, and I can tell you that our administration, which is separate from the First Lady and has no role in it, is opposed to bigotry of any kind,” he said.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife Rama Duwaji wave after his inauguration as mayor at City Hall on Thursday, January 1, 2026 in New York, NY. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
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Washington Free Sign first reported On Thursday, Duwaji gave an example for writer Susan Abulhawa. I compiled a few articles For the collection “Every Moment is a Life”.
According to The Washington Free Beacon, Abulhawa wrote an op-ed following the terrorist attacks on October 7, calling it “an amazing moment that shocked the world.”
The outlet also flagged numerous social media posts from December in which he called Israelis “rootless, soulless ghouls.” In September, Abulhawa called Israel “an uncultured, rootless human aberration in the form of a manufactured ‘nation'” and said, “We are living in the time of Jewish supremacist devils.”
Abulhawa also called Israelis “evil parasites”[s]” in a November post, according to the Washington Free Beacon.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks to reporters at a press conference in New York City on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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The mayor’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for additional comment.
Duwaji also faced backlash last week for allegedly liking posts supporting the October 7 attacks. Duwaji allegedly liked a February 2024 Instagram post that claimed the New York Times investigation into sexual violence during the Oct. 7 attack was “fabricated.” Free Press.
Rama Duwaji (R), wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, has received approval from much of the media following reports that she liked social media posts celebrating Hamas’ October 7 massacre of Israel. (Getty Images)
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Duwaji, a Houston-born illustrator who identifies as Syrian and married Mamdani in early 2025, also liked many posts criticizing Israel in the immediate aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks. Jewish Insider was first reported.
Abulhawa issued a response via video sent to X on Saturday.
“I want to talk about this accusation of anti-Semitism against me, as well as the nature and requirements of racism in general. I will start with the word Semite at the most basic level. Unlike the White Ashkenazi Jews who attacked me, I am a true Semitic person. Semitism is just a part of our identity that they stole,” Abulhawa said.
He said he was disappointed that Mamdani condemned him.
When asked for further comment, Abulhawa directed Fox News Digital to the video he posted.
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Fox News’ Sophia Compton contributed to this report.
