By: Justin Winograd

A new political controversy has erupted in New York City after it emerged that **Rama Duwaji**, the wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, contributed artwork to an essay by a polarizing anti-Israel activist who has repeatedly used inflammatory language about Jews and publicly praised the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks against Israel.

The revelation, reported on Friday by The New York Post, has ignited renewed scrutiny of the political environment surrounding City Hall and the public record of individuals connected to the mayor’s administration. Critics argue the discovery raises troubling questions about associations with figures accused of antisemitic rhetoric at a time when concerns about antisemitism remain heightened both nationally and globally.

The controversy centers on an illustration created by Duwaji, a Syrian-American artist who currently serves as New York City’s First Lady. According to the report cited by The New York Post, the artwork appeared in the magazine *Everything Is Political*, published by the activist collective Slow Factory, accompanying an essay titled *A Trail of Soap* by Palestinian-American writer Susan Abulhawa.

Duwaji’s drawing reportedly served as the lead graphic for Abulhawa’s essay, which appeared in the latest issue of the Slow Factory publication. The magazine has become known for its explicitly political editorial direction, often featuring essays on global justice, colonialism, and Middle East politics.

According to The New York Post report, the essay’s author, Abulhawa, has built a reputation as one of the most outspoken critics of Israel in international activist circles. However, her rhetoric has also attracted sustained criticism from Jewish advocacy organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League, which has condemned several of her statements as inflammatory and antisemitic.

The discovery of Duwaji’s involvement in the publication has sparked a wave of debate in political and media circles, particularly given the First Lady’s public role in a city with one of the largest Jewish populations in the world.

New York City is home to roughly one million Jewish residents, making it the largest Jewish community outside Israel.

The scrutiny surrounding the illustration stems primarily from the public statements and social media posts made by Abulhawa in recent years.

According to documentation compiled by journalists and highlighted by The New York Post, Abulhawa has used highly provocative language when describing Israel and Jews in several online posts.

In one social media message from December 2025, she referred to Israelis as “rootless, soulless ghouls.” In other posts she used terms such as “demons,” “vampires,” and “parasites” when discussing Israel and Zionism. The writer has also previously described a pro-Israel commentator as a “Jewish supremacist cockroach” and criticized what she characterized as “dual loyalty Zionists.”

Such language has prompted repeated condemnation from Jewish advocacy organizations and commentators who argue that the rhetoric crosses the line from political criticism into dehumanizing stereotypes historically associated with antisemitism.

The controversy intensified further due to Abulhawa’s comments following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 people and the kidnapping of hundreds.

In an opinion essay written days after the attack, Abulhawa described the assault as a “spectacular moment that shocked the world,” while suggesting Israel may have had prior knowledge of the events. “Those few freedom fighters inspired not only the whole of Palestine but the oppressed masses worldwide,” she wrote in a column published by the website The Electronic Intifada.

The remarks were widely condemned by Israeli officials and numerous Jewish organizations, which argued that the statement appeared to celebrate the violence inflicted on Israeli civilians.

When contacted about the controversy, City Hall initially did not respond to inquiries from The New York Post. However, a spokeswoman representing Mayor Mamdani told the Washington Free Beacon that Duwaji’s role in the publication was limited and purely professional. “As is common for freelance illustrators, the First Lady was commissioned to illustrate an excerpt of Abulhawa’s book by an outside publisher,” the spokesperson said. “She has never engaged with or met Susan Abulhawa, nor had she seen the tweets in question.”

According to the statement, Duwaji’s involvement was the result of a standard freelance arrangement rather than a collaboration with the author herself.

Supporters of the First Lady have argued that freelance artists often contribute work to publications without direct involvement in the editorial positions or political views of contributors.

The situation has become more politically sensitive due to another recent report involving Duwaji’s social media activity. According to reporting by Jewish Insider, Duwaji previously “liked” an Instagram post from Slow Factory that included imagery from the October 7 Hamas attack.

The post reportedly featured photos and graphics celebrating the breach of Israel’s border barrier by Hamas militants, including an image of a bulldozer used to tear down fencing between Gaza and Israel.

Another image reportedly included the caption “Breaking the walls of apartheid and military occupation. Oct. 7, 2023.”

The revelation sparked additional criticism from Jewish community leaders and political commentators who argue that public officials and their families should exercise caution when engaging with material related to violent events.

The controversy arrives at a sensitive moment for Mayor Mamdani’s administration.

As The New York Post has noted in multiple reports, the mayor has already faced criticism from some Jewish leaders over his political views on Israel and Middle East policy. The new revelations involving his wife have intensified debate about how City Hall is perceived within New York’s Jewish community.

Several analysts say the episode highlights the challenges faced by political leaders navigating global issues that resonate strongly within local communities. Given New York City’s diverse population—including large Jewish, Muslim, Arab, and Israeli communities—international political debates often carry significant domestic implications.

Beyond the immediate political fallout, the controversy also reflects broader tensions surrounding activism related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In recent years, social media and cultural platforms have amplified political discourse about the conflict, often blending artistic expression with political messaging.

Supporters of Abulhawa argue that her work reflects legitimate criticism of Israeli government policies and broader geopolitical dynamics. Critics counter that some of her rhetoric invokes centuries-old antisemitic tropes and contributes to hostility toward Jewish communities worldwide.

Jewish advocacy groups have repeatedly warned that rhetoric portraying Jews as demonic or parasitic has historically preceded episodes of violence.

For many observers, the situation underscores the heightened sensitivity surrounding antisemitism in New York City. According to recent law enforcement data, antisemitic incidents have consistently represented the largest category of reported hate crimes in the city. As a result, any controversy involving public figures and allegations of antisemitic rhetoric tends to attract intense scrutiny.

The New York Post reported that community leaders are closely watching how City Hall responds to the situation in the coming days.

Whether the controversy fades quickly or evolves into a larger political dispute remains uncertain. But in a city where cultural identity, politics, and global events often intersect, the debate surrounding the mayor’s family—and the boundaries between art, activism, and public responsibility—has already become another chapter in New York’s ongoing conversation about antisemitism and free expression.