Mamdani criticizes pro-Hamas slogans after Queens protest outside synagogue

Mamdani broadened his remarks on social media, saying that “Chants in support of a terrorist organization have no place in our city.”

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

A clash outside a Queens synagogue on Thursday night prompted Mayor Zohran Mamdani to sharply denounce both the chants supporting Hamas and the slurs shouted by pro-Israel counterdemonstrators, calling the exchange unacceptable in New York’s public spaces, The New York Times reports.

The confrontation erupted in Kew Gardens Hills, where protesters gathered outside an event promoting American real estate investment in Jerusalem.

Footage showing demonstrators chanting “Say it loud, say it clear, we support Hamas here” circulated widely online after being posted by an Israeli journalist, drawing swift rebukes across the political spectrum.

Mamdani initially issued a statement Friday saying “the rhetoric and displays that we saw” during the demonstration “are wrong and have no place in our city.”

He said his office was coordinating with the N.Y.P.D. and working to maintain “New Yorkers’ safety entering and exiting houses of worship as well as the constitutional right to protest.”

Later in the day, facing criticism that his response did not explicitly condemn Hamas, Mamdani broadened his remarks on social media, saying that “Chants in support of a terrorist organization have no place in our city.”

The protest outside the Queens synagogue followed an earlier demonstration in November outside a Manhattan synagogue hosting an event tied to immigration to Israel and territory much of the world considers occupied.

After that incident, Mamdani faulted protesters for using confrontational slogans such as “death to the I.D.F.” and “globalize the intifada” but also criticized the synagogue for holding the event.

Thursday’s confrontation prompted rapid responses from other officials as well. Gov. Kathy Hochul released a statement saying, “Hamas is a terrorist organization that calls for the genocide of Jews,” joining the growing chorus of New York leaders condemning the pro-Hamas chant.

The police said the competing demonstrations remained separated and did not result in reported injuries, though the heated exchange reflected ongoing tensions surrounding Middle East issues playing out on New York streets.