Mamdani won't call Oct. 7 'genocide,' reiterates support for Netanyahu's arrest
"I think one of the bedrocks of our city is protest," the New York City mayor said when asked what Palestinian New Yorkers should do when the Israeli prime minister visits New York in September
Assessment
New York City Mayor Eric Adams declined to condemn protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's upcoming visit, instead affirming the right to demonstrate. The mayor's remarks come as Mahmoud Mamdani, a prominent academic, refused to label the October 7 attacks as genocide while restating support for Netanyahu's arrest. The convergence of these statements highlights ongoing tensions around free speech, political accountability, and definitions of violence in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict.