New York Mayor describes Hamas as 'terrorist'... and a Canadian rabbi responds: You are wrong

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's description of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas as a "terrorist organization" sparked a wave of sharp criticism, most notably a response from Canadian Rabbi David Mivasair, who accused the mayor of bias towards the Israeli narrative, warning him against making "additional moral and political concessions" in the future.

Mivasair said in a direct response to Mamdani's statements: "Zohran, you are wrong, and you know it. Hamas is a Palestinian resistance movement that arose as a result of the brutal genocide committed by Israel for more than 75 years."

He added that "chanting or raising flags did not make anyone feel unsafe," in reference to the recent pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

The Canadian rabbi's response came after Mamdani, the city's first Muslim mayor, condemned the pro-Hamas chants raised during a demonstration organized in a Jewish neighborhood in New York City, saying: "There is no place for supporting terrorist groups in our city," in a statement issued amid media criticism for his delay in commenting on the event.

Last Thursday night, the Kew Gardens Hills neighborhood in Queens witnessed a protest against an Israeli event held inside a synagogue, where anti-occupation activists chanted slogans including: "We support Hamas," "Death to the Israeli army," and "Intifada... people's war," which sparked widespread controversy in American political and media circles.

Mamdani accompanied his statements with a picture of a headline published by the "New York Times" that addressed his previous positions on the protest, and commented on the incident: "There is no place for chants supporting a terrorist organization in our city. We will continue to ensure the safety of New Yorkers as they enter and exit places of worship, while protecting their constitutional right to protest."

In another statement shared by his spokesperson with the Hebrew newspaper "Times of Israel," Mamdani said that "the rhetoric and actions we saw and heard in Kew Gardens Hills last night are wrong and have no place in our city."

The mayor added that his team is "in close contact with the NYPD regarding protests and counter-protests," noting that a number of political officials condemned what happened, including New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who wrote on the "X" platform: "My God, walking into a predominantly Jewish neighborhood and starting to chant 'We support Hamas' is disgusting and antisemitic."

In contrast, American media reports stated that the protests also witnessed pro-Israel Jewish demonstrators insulting and provoking anti-occupation activists, as they chanted against Palestinians, and chanted slogans supporting the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and also chanted abusive phrases against the mayor himself, including "Fuck Mamdani."