Three years since Hamas’ October 7 attacks
Nova Music Festival survivor Natalie Sanandaji and Holocaust survivor Sami Steigmann join ‘America’s Newsroom’ on the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks. Sanandaji recounts her fight for survival, while Steigmann warns about rising antisemitism around the world.
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Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations blasted New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani over his message marking the third anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, comparing the mayor’s framing of the massacre to “turning September 11 into a day of mourning for al-Qaeda terrorists.”
Ambassador Danny Danon accused Mamdani of trying to “hijack” the anniversary after the mayor commemorated the more than 1,100 Israelis killed by Hamas before pivoting to accusations of “genocide,” “occupation” and “apartheid” against Israel.
“‘Mamdani-ism’ — an attempt to hijack the anniversary of October 7 and turn it into yet another propaganda attack against Israel,” Danon wrote on X in response to the mayor’s post.
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Israel’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Danny Danon condemned New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for using a message on the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack to make accusations against Israel. (Reuters/David Dee Delgado)
“It is like turning September 11 into a day of mourning for al-Qaeda terrorists,” he added. “We will not let this happen. We will remember those who were murdered, and we will never forget who was behind this massacre.”
Mamdani’s post Wednesday began by calling the anniversary “profoundly painful for so many New Yorkers” and describing the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack as “horrific war crimes.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani smiles in reaction to reporters’ comments after a private meeting with President Donald Trump at Gracie Mansion on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, New York, N.Y., Sept. 21, 2026. (Anthony Behar/Sipa USA)
“On that day, Hamas killed more than 1,100 Israelis and abducted 251 others,” Mamdani wrote. “We grieve alongside our many friends and neighbors who still carry that unthinkable loss.”
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The mayor then turned much of his statement toward the war in Gaza, accusing the Israeli government of carrying out a “devastating, ongoing genocide” and citing a Palestinian death toll of more than 74,000, including more than 21,000 children.
“The suffering did not begin nor end that day,” Mamdani wrote.
Mamdani accused Israel of bombing ambulances, targeting residential buildings and journalists with drone strikes and turning away food aid at border crossings. Israel has disputed allegations that it deliberately targets civilians, aid workers and journalists and has rejected accusations of genocide, noting flyers that the Israeli military has sent to Palestinian civilians warning them of attacks in advance and urging them to get to safety.
The mayor also accused the U.S. government of complicity in Israeli “war crimes” through its military support.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks at a press conference during moving day at Gracie Mansion on Jan. 12, 2026, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
“Three years later, we must refuse to accept a world in which occupation and apartheid continue, where war crimes are met with impunity, and our federal government continues its complicity with every arms shipment,” Mamdani wrote. “To honor the dead, we must fight for a world in which every person can live with freedom, safety, and dignity.”
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Danon was not alone in objecting to Mamdani’s framing of the anniversary.
“Disgusting and shameful to use October 7th as an excuse to repeat Hamas’ talking points. The terrorist enemies that seek to destroy us will not prevail. We stand with the Jewish people and we pray for the victims, their families and the survivors,” said Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
“Shame on you for trying to blow a kiss and slap Israelis in the face at the same time,” posted former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley. “On October 7, Hamas raped, burned, and murdered Israelis and Americans in front of their loved ones. They kidnapped others and tortured them for months. This is antisemitism, no matter how you try to put a bow on it. Israelis have every right to defend themselves. If this happened in the U.S., you can bet we would defend ourselves too.”
“.@NYCMayor , not once do you say ‘Jews.’ On Oct. 7, Hamas-led attackers murdered civilians, committed sexual violence, mutilated bodies and took hostages,” said Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. “You are weaponizing a day meant for mourning the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust to recycle your usual antizionist talking points. The city with the largest Jewish population outside Israel deserves a mayor who can honor the dead without exploiting them.”
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Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing roughly 1,200 people in brutal fashion while livestreaming the atrocities online, and taking 251 hostages. Israelis marked the third anniversary Wednesday with memorials and vigils for those killed and abducted.
