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By Marni Rose McFall
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New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has come under fire online for comments he made about his wife Rama Duwaji’s art. An illustration by Duwaji appeared in an essay by Palestinian American author Susan Abulhawa, known for her pro-Palestinian activism and criticism of Israel and Zionism.
Abulhawa has previously been criticized for language used while talking about Israel and Jewish people, including terms like “vampires” and “ghouls.” Asked about this rhetoric and Duwaji’s illustrations for the writing, Mamdani condemned the language as “patently unacceptable” and “reprehensible.”
His response sparked criticism from pro‑Palestinian voices and others online who argued he mishandled the question and failed to defend his wife.
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Newsweek has contacted Mamdani via an online contact form for comment.
Why It Matters
Mamdani recently became New York City’s first Muslim and first Asian American mayor, following a victory that signaled a major victory for the left, and catapulted him to becoming one of the countries more high-profile politicians.
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The 34-year-old Democratic socialist has long expressed support for Palestinians and criticized Israel. He has said that he believes Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and that Israel is an apartheid state. Israel consistently rejects accusations of genocide and apartheid.
What To Know
Duwaji provided a drawing for “A Trail of Soap,” an essay in the collection “Every Moment is a Life,” published in Everything Is Political, an offshoot of the nonprofit organization, Slow Factory.
Abulhawa is a Palestinian American writer and activist, known for books including Mornings in Jenin. Mamdani was asked by press about Duwaji's illustration for Abulhawa and was asked about some of Abulhawa’s past rhetoric. “I think that that rhetoric is patently unacceptable. I think it’s reprehensible,” he said.
He continued and said, “As is common for freelance illustrators, the first lady was commissioned to illustrate an excerpt of a book by a third party.”
“She has never engaged with or met with the author. Nor had she seen the tweets that you are referring to. And we stand in our administration, and I can tell you, our administration, which is separate from the first lady, she doesn’t have a role within it, against bigotry of all forms, and we do so unflinchingly.”
These remarks have prompted backlash online by people and pro-Palestine voices who disagreed with his handling of the question and said he should have defended his wife.
Popular left-wing American political commentator Hasan Piker wrote in a post on X, “They’re never going to stop btw. You can only reason with someone who’s sincerely confused. These attacks are not from those that demand clarity, they are cynical smears to consistently claim that the mayor is antisemitic. Any concessions offer legitimacy to the sinister attack.”
Meanwhile, the writer James Ray, who runs the account GoodVibePolitik on X, and writes for Mondoweiss, an anti-Zionist news website, wrote in a post, “Personally I would kill myself before even considering talking about my wife’s decisions publicly like this. Can’t imagine giving into a Zionist mob over going to bat for her. This is just shameful man grow a f****** backbone.”
It also prompted a response from Abulhawa, who wrote in a post to X that she is “hugely grateful” for the support following “Mamdani's unfortunate capitulation to Zionist power in which he chose to disparage and repudiate me.”
Abulhawa later shared a video on X in which she addressed the fallout in detail for over 20 minutes. Abulhawa directed Newsweek to that video when asked for comment. At one point in the video, she says, "Our feelings or words in response to 78 years of this barbaric colonial violence are not reprehensible, they are not antisemitic and they are not anti-Jewish."
What People Are Saying
Mohammed El-Kurd, a Jerusalem-based writer and editor at large for Mondoweiss, in a post on X: “Our issue is that we treat him as if he is a house of cards; as if his entire project would collapse if we dare criticize it. But the reality is simply different: if he is only getting pushback from the right he will inevitably move to the right. Basic physics really.”
Shaiel Ben-Ephraim, a geopolitical analyst and activist, in a post on X: “He is stupid for apologizing and explaining. Nothing will ever be enough for Zionists anyway. They just want to destroy them. Stand tall.”
Sana Saeed, a media critic and writer, in a post on X: “Logged back on tonight only to find out Mamdani went from wife guy to ‘may this love never find me’ kinda guy.”
What Happens Next
The social media backlash reflects the intensity of political polarization in the U.S.
Update 03/17/26 09:25 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Susan Abulhawa.
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