NYPD Denies Providing Security for Mayor's Wife's Middle East Trip

The New York City Police Department has denied claims from City Hall that it would provide a taxpayer-funded security detail for Rama Duwaji, the wife of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, during her planned trip to Syria and Lebanon on September 20. The travel is intended for Duwaji to visit family in regions currently designated as Level 4: Do Not Travel by the U.S. State Department.

Mayoral spokesperson Dora Pekec initially stated that the security detail would accompany Duwaji based on a "strong recommendation of the NYPD." However, the NYPD countered this assertion, clarifying that it does not deploy personnel to countries with level four travel advisories for discretionary reasons unrelated to investigative work. The department further noted that the trip coincides with the 81st United Nations General Assembly, a period of high resource demand.

The dispute has drawn criticism from Dov Hikind, founder of Americans Against Antisemitism, who argued that sending officers into "war zones" puts them in danger. Other critics highlighted a contradiction between the request for police protection and Mayor Mamdani's previous public advocacy to defund the NYPD. Additionally, reports noted Duwaji's history of pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel social media posts, including content questioning the existence of Tel Aviv.