New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is scheduled to attend a vigil commemorating the October 7 massacre Wednesday evening, followed two hours later by a meeting with Palestinian New Yorkers, according to his office’s published schedule.

The mayor’s calendar lists his participation in a “Vigil in Remembrance of October 7th” at 7 p.m. His meeting with Palestinian residents is scheduled for 9 p.m.

The appearances come amid sharp criticism of Mamdani’s positions on Israel and questions surrounding his administration’s strategy to combat antisemitism.

At an October 7 memorial ceremony held by the Israeli Consulate in New York, Consul General Ofir Akunis personally invited Mamdani to view footage documenting the Hamas atrocities.

“If he comes, he’ll see what the people he supports actually did,” Akunis said. “Maybe it will make him stop with the hatred and blood libels against the State of Israel.”

Separately, Mamdani’s recently announced “Strategy to Combat Antisemitism” has drawn scrutiny over reports identifying the Arab American Association of New York as a partner organization.

The broader program allocates tens of millions of dollars toward combating hate crimes and includes an additional $6.4 million for a city initiative to fight hatred.

Criticism of the association’s involvement centers on its history of anti-Israel activism and its statements following the October 7 massacre.

In the days after the attack, the organization declared that “we stand in solidarity with the right of all occupied peoples to resist their oppressors.”

The association has also supported protests against Israel, raising questions among critics about its participation in an initiative presented as a strategy to combat antisemitism.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)