NEW YORK (VINnews) — Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter sharply condemned New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday, saying he was responding to the mayor’s Oct. 7 statement while at the bedside of his son, who he said is on life support after being struck by a Palestinian terrorist.

“I have to take a moment from my son’s bedside, on life support after being struck by a Palestinian terrorist, to respond to the dangerous lies being spewed by @NYCMayor,” Leiter wrote on X.

Leiter accused Mamdani of using the third anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack to attack Israel and promote what he described as false accusations against the Jewish state.

“It’s actually hard to find a sentence in Mamdani’s post that isn’t a lie,” Leiter wrote.

Mamdani’s statement acknowledged that Hamas killed more than 1,100 Israelis and abducted 251 people during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. The mayor described the anniversary as “profoundly painful” but also condemned Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and referred to it as genocide.

Leiter strongly rejected that characterization, saying the only attempted genocide in the conflict was carried out by Hamas.

“Let’s be clear: the only attempted genocide in this conflict was perpetrated by the barbarians he supports, Hamas, who butchered, raped, and murdered in the most horrific ways imaginable,” Leiter wrote.

Leiter also defended Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, accusing Hamas of embedding itself among civilians and diverting humanitarian aid.

He accused Mamdani of helping spread Hamas propaganda and said the mayor’s rhetoric was contributing to dangers faced by Jews.

“Hamas knows that its allies, including Zohran Mamdani, will regurgitate its lies, demonizing Israel and endangering Jews everywhere,” Leiter wrote.

Leiter’s comments came as criticism of Mamdani’s Oct. 7 statement continued to spread across social media, with elected officials and political figures from both parties accusing the mayor of politicizing the anniversary.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., called Mamdani’s statement “absolutely atrocious,” while former Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, a Democrat, said using the anniversary to advance political arguments was “inappropriate and unnecessarily inflammatory.”

Leiter concluded his statement by saying Israel and its allies would continue defending themselves against terrorism while working toward a peaceful and prosperous future for Jews and Arabs.

“Those of us who envision a peaceful and prosperous Middle East, will root out the evil that is Islamic terrorism and build a better future for all, Jew and Arab alike,” Leiter wrote.

The ambassador’s remarks added a deeply personal dimension to the growing controversy surrounding Mamdani’s first Oct. 7 anniversary statement as New York City mayor.