The Democratic candidate for mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, attended on Tuesday night a vigil called in Manhattan by Israelis for Peace, a group of Israelis in New York opposed to the occupation of Palestine who since 2023 have demonstrated weekly to demand a ceasefire and the release of the hostages held by Hamas.
Mamdani sat in Union Square next to the municipal auditor, Brad Lander, a former rival in the Democratic Party primaries, but who now supports his campaign. Mamdani heard speakers during the event — which coincided with the second anniversary of the Hamas attacks — call for an end to the Israeli killings and occupation, and equal rights for Palestinians.