Israel's NY Consul Invites Mayor Mamdani to See Hamas Atrocities Film

Israel's Consul General in New York, Ophir Akunis, has publicly invited Mayor Zohran Mamdani to view a 47-minute film produced by the IDF depicting the Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023. Akunis extended the invitation during a speech at a state memorial ceremony hosted by the Israeli Consulate in New York, attended by approximately one thousand people, and also sent a formal letter to the mayor.

The film screening is scheduled for Wednesday, coinciding with the Gregorian anniversary of the massacre, as part of an event organized by the consulate. "I invite Mr. Zohran Mamdani, the Mayor, to come and watch the film," Akunis stated. "He will be able to see for the first time what the people he supports truly did, and perhaps he will stop his incessant incitement, hatred, and blood libels against the State of Israel. Anyone who watches the film with a human heart will understand who the real enemy is."

Akunis also addressed world leaders and public officials who criticize Israel. He posed a rhetorical question: "Three years after the massacre, this is an opportunity to ask world leaders, presidents, prime ministers, public officials, and mayors who continue to criticize us: what would you do if the same savage people invaded your country or city and brutally murdered innocent civilians? What would you do if a family member of yours, your son, your daughter, were burned alive before your eyes?"

He added, "We have finished listening to your empty criticism, and I say this loudly and clearly: we are not impressed by your cowardly actions, your hypocrisy, and your weakness. We are not impressed by your approach, which aims to appease your new political base." In his letter to Mamdani, Akunis linked the mayor's statements to the rise in antisemitism in New York, writing, "Your words against the State of Israel are a significant factor in the rise of antisemitism in New York. Perhaps after watching the film, you will understand why the existence of the State of Israel as a Jewish state is so important, and why we will continue to defend ourselves at all costs."