Mamdani repeatedly accuses Israel of genocide in NYC mayoral debate

Zohran Mamdani, the leading candidate for New York City mayor, accuses Israel of genocide three times within a few minutes in a debate with his rivals, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa.

Cuomo accuses Mamdani of not being a democrat because Mamdani supported the “leave it blank” campaign during the Democratic presidential primaries to protest US support for Israel during the Gaza war.

“I said leave it blank in the presidential primary because primaries are a place to air dissent, and like many Americans, I was horrified by the Israeli genocide of Palestinians,” Mamdani says.

Asked about declining to call on Hamas to lay down its arms in an interview Wednesday, Mamdani backtracks, saying, “Of course I believe that they should lay down their arms.”

“Calling for a ceasefire means ceasing fire, that means all parties have to cease fire and put down their weapons, and the reason that we call for that is not only for the end to the genocide but also unimpeded access of humanitarian aid,” he says.

“We also have to ensure that it addresses the conditions that preceded this, conditions like the occupation, the siege and apartheid, and that is what I’m hopeful for,” he says.

Mamdani also attacks Cuomo for volunteering to join Netanyahu’s legal defense team in the international court “during the course of this genocide.”