Israeli Consul General Challenges NYC Mayor to View Attack Footage
Ofir Akunis invited New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to a screening of IDF footage documenting the October 7 attacks to challenge the mayor's criticisms of Israel.
Israeli Consul General in New York Ofir Akunis invited New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to a screening of a 47-minute film documenting the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks. Speaking Monday at a memorial ceremony attended by approximately 1,000 people at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, Akunis stated the footage was compiled by the Israel Defense Forces from GoPro cameras used by terrorists.
Akunis challenged the mayor to watch the film to see "what the people he supports actually did," suggesting the experience might end Mamdani's "relentless incitement, hatred and blood libels against the State of Israel." In an accompanying open letter, Akunis asserted that the mayor's rhetoric is the "fundamental reason for the rise of antisemitism in New York City."
The invitation follows a period of public conflict. Mamdani, a supporter of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement, has accused Israel of genocide and apartheid and previously campaigned for the arrest of the Israeli prime minister. Akunis has previously called the mayor "a true hater of the State of Israel" and criticized his decision to rescind the city's adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism. City Hall has not yet responded to the invitation.
