A Democratic congressman from Florida has condemned New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for his remarks on the third anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Jewish Democrat representing Parkland, posted on X that Mamdani’s statement amounted to blaming the victims, writing that the mayor effectively said “the Jews who died, sad, but it’s their fault.” Moskowitz added that Mamdani “needs the city’s antisemitism policy for himself,” calling the post “atrocious.”

Mamdani’s anniversary message, published on the third anniversary of the attacks that killed more than 1,200 people and resulted in the abduction of 251 hostages, mourned the loss of Israeli lives but devoted the majority of the statement to criticizing Israel’s military actions in Gaza. The mayor noted that Israel’s response had killed more than 74,000 Palestinians, including over 21,000 children, and that more than 1,400 Palestinians had died since a ceasefire was declared last year. He cited specific incidents, such as drone strikes on residential buildings and the obstruction of humanitarian aid, to illustrate what he described as ongoing suffering.

Moskowitz, who is Jewish and running for re-election in Florida’s newly drawn 25th Congressional District, where approximately 25% of residents identify as Jewish, framed the dispute as part of a broader political tension. He faces a Republican challenger, Scott Singer, who has accused him of distancing himself from Israel amid shifting Democratic Party dynamics. U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a fellow Florida Democrat, echoed Moskowitz’s criticism, stating that “desecrating the memory of murdered, innocent Jews” on the anniversary was “obscene” and that criticism of Israel could be reserved for other days.

Florida activist Fred Guttenberg, a Parkland father who has collaborated with Moskowitz on gun safety legislation, also condemned Mamdani’s statement, comparing it to the dismissive rhetoric used by gun lobbyists after mass shootings. He urged the mayor to “keep your ‘but’ out of this” and described the message as “awful.”

The exchange highlights growing partisan friction over how political figures commemorate the Oct. 7 attacks and frame the subsequent conflict in Gaza, with implications for Jewish communities in both New York and Florida.