NYC Mayoral Candidate’s Father Associated with Controversial Gaza Organization

The father of socialist NYC mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani is a member of an advisory council of a London-based organization that has been criticized for its hostile stance towards Israel. The Gaza Tribunal, founded last year, states its mission is to mobilize civil society to oppose what it describes as Israel’s ‘genocide’ in Gaza.

Professor Mahmood Mamdani speaking at a Gaza solidarity protest. — Professor Mahmood Mamdani, father of mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, sits on the advisory council of an organization accused of promoting anti-Israel rhetoric and sympathizing with violence. Robert Miller for NY Post

This organization aligns with many anti-Israel causes, including the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which advocates for economic pressure on Israel to support Palestinian causes.

Mahmood Mamdani, a distinguished professor of African history at Columbia University, was first reported to be part of the Gaza Tribunal by Fox News.

The elder Mamdani faced criticism after a resurfaced excerpt from his 2004 book, “Good Muslim, Bad Muslim,” in which he expressed understanding of suicide bombers’ perspectives. He argued that “Suicide bombing needs to be understood as a feature of modern political violence rather than stigmatized as barbaric.”

Zohran Mamdani at a press event. — Zohran Mamdani, the socialist candidate with the Democratic and Working Families Party lines, is considered a frontrunner in the upcoming mayoral race. Matthew McDermott

He has also called for recognizing suicide bombers as soldiers, stating, “We need to recognize the suicide bomber, first and foremost, as a category of soldier.”

Noted investor Bill Ackman commented on social media, “The apple @ZohranKMamdani doesn’t fall far from the tree,” highlighting Mamdani’s familial connections to the controversial organization.