Did mamdami support hamas
Executive summary
Zohran Mamdani has repeatedly criticized Israel and said he supports Palestinian rights and some nonviolent tactics such as BDS, but available reporting shows he has not publicly declared support for Hamas as an organization; he declined to say in one Fox News interview whether Hamas should disarm and opponents and some foreign politicians have nonetheless labeled him a “Hamas supporter” [1] [2] [3] [4]. Media outlets and advocacy groups are sharply divided: mainstream outlets report he has not embraced Hamas, while partisan outlets and foreign political figures assert ties or support, sometimes citing campaign donations or family links [3] [5] [6].
1. The central fact: Mamdani’s public statements and what they do — and don’t — say
Mamdani’s public record, as reported, shows forceful criticism of Israel, advocacy for Palestinian rights, and past support for nonviolent measures like BDS; he has repeatedly said Israel has a right to exist but has not affirmed the idea of a Jewish state, and in a Fox News interview he declined to say whether Hamas should lay down arms [1] [7] [2]. The New York Times explicitly notes he “has not called for genocide against Jews or expressed support for Hamas” while recounting how his cautious answers were seized by critics [3]. These are the core documented touchpoints that shape the debate.
2. How opponents and some foreign leaders frame him — “Hamas supporter” allegations
Political adversaries, conservative outlets and some Israeli politicians have portrayed Mamdani as a supporter of Hamas. After his electoral victory, Israeli politicians described him as having “supported Hamas” and alarmed diaspora leaders, and right-leaning commentators and advocacy groups have repeatedly called attention to his criticisms of Israel as evidence of sympathy for Hamas [4] [5] [8]. These allegations are often political shorthand linking his radical left/pro-Palestinian posture to support for the group, rather than citations of a clear public endorsement.
3. Evidence cited by critics: donations, associations and family ties
Critics point to campaign funding and associations to suggest connections. Reports and commentators allege donations from groups with contested links — for example, claims that CAIR or other Muslim organizations funded affiliated PACs supporting Mamdani have circulated in several outlets; think-tank and partisan pieces assert donations of six-figure amounts to PACs allied with his campaign [9] [5] [8]. Separately, reporting cites a column and an investigation noting that Mamdani’s father has served on a Gaza tribunal advisory council that critics say included people with documented ties to Hamas-linked figures — a fact reported by i24NEWS [6]. None of the mainstream pieces, however, show Mamdani himself declaring allegiance to Hamas.
4. Mainstream coverage and nuance: repeated denials that he “supports Hamas”
Mainstream outlets such as The New York Times and Politico emphasize nuance: they document Mamdani’s sharp criticism of Israel, his support for Palestinian rights and past endorsement of BDS, but report that he has not explicitly supported Hamas as an organization and that his refusal to give a straightforward answer on disarmament fed accusations [3] [1] [10]. These outlets present his positions as politically controversial and clarifying that many of the “supporter” claims are rhetorical attacks used in campaign fights.
5. The role of advocacy sites and partisan outlets in shaping public perception
A range of advocacy sites and polarised outlets present a far more damning portrait: Canary Mission and various opinion pieces portray Mamdani as having “justified Hamas terrorism” or drawing strategic lessons from Hamas’s political tactics [11] [12]. These sources mix selective quotes, associations and interpretive claims. Their agendas — anti-Islamist, pro-Israel or partisan conservative — are visible in the framing and should be weighed against reporting from mainstream outlets [5] [8].
6. What the available sources do not show
Available sources do not show a clear, on-the-record statement by Mamdani explicitly endorsing Hamas as an organization or calling for its victory; they do not present primary-source evidence that he provided material support to Hamas. Reporting does show he declined to say whether Hamas should disarm, has supported Palestinian rights and BDS at times, and has associations and donations that critics deem suspect [2] [1] [9]. Sources also do not reach a single consensus — coverage ranges from careful mainstream reporting to accusatory opinion pieces.
7. Bottom line for readers
Based on available reporting, the factual record is: Mamdani is a vocal critic of Israel and a supporter of Palestinian rights who has declined to plainly say whether Hamas should disarm; opponents and some foreign politicians have labeled him a “Hamas supporter,” while mainstream outlets report he has not expressed support for Hamas itself [2] [4] [3]. Readers should treat claims of direct “support for Hamas” as contested: some outlets assert it using associations and donations as evidence, while others — including major newsrooms — say those assertions overstate what his public statements actually say [5] [10].