Mamdani defends wife when confronted on work with anti-Israel author, decries rhetoric

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned rhetoric coming from an anti-Israel author who called the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks "spectacular" on Friday, and defended his wife for working with the author. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani defended his wife, Rama Duwaji, on Friday during a press conference when confronted about her work with an author who called the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, "spectacular," and described Jewish Israelis as "rootless, soulless ghouls." During the conference, a reporter asked Mamdani whether his wife was aware of the author's rhetoric before she took the job and whether such rhetoric was acceptable. "I think that that rhetoric is patently unacceptable. I think it's reprehensible," Mamdani stated. "As is common for freelance illustrators, the first lady was commissioned to illustrate an excerpt of a book by a third party. She has