Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate in New York's mayoral race, said Wednesday it was “too early” to give President Donald Trump credit for ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, saying he would be willing to do so if the ceasefire was “permanent” and “durable.”
“When it comes to the ceasefire, I'm grateful and I hope it does hold and last,” Mamdani told Fox News' Martha McCallum.
Asked by McCallum whether he trusted Trump, whose administration was negotiating the first phase of a peace plan with Israel and Hamas, Mamdani replied: “I think it's too early to do that.”
“If it turns out to be something that lasts, something that lasts, then I think that’s where the credit should go,” he added.
A White House spokesman did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment.
Mamdani, who won the Democratic primary for mayor in June after beating Nearly a dozen other Democratic candidates, including former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, have come under scrutiny for their views on Israel and the Middle East.
He has long been a supporter of recognition of the state of Palestine, calling the war in the Gaza Strip “genocide“and was criticized by his opponents and Jewish groups earlier when he initially refused to condemn this phrase “Globalizing the Intifada” in a podcast interview.
So told NBC News on “Meet the Press.” that “I'm using the wrong language” and that “I don't believe the mayor's role is to police speech.”
A few weeks later the New York Times reported that Mamdani told business leaders he would “dissuade” others from using the phrase.
In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Mamdani said he was still skeptical that the peace deal reached by Trump would last. quoting reports that Israeli soldiers killed five Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday.
“I remain concerned because just in the last few days I have seen reports that five Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military. And it makes me wonder about any accolades or celebrations at a time when they are still in their infancy,” Mamdani told McCallum.
He also reacted to the news that Hamas, which as part of the peace agreement agreed to return living and dead hostages captured in the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, returned a body that did not belong one of the hostages.
“I think these are bodies or remains that should definitely be returned. And I think I have no problem criticizing Hamas or the Israeli government because all my criticism comes from universal human rights,” Mamdani said.
Several families of the dead hostages earlier this week called for “immediate suspension“ceasefire agreement when only four of the 28 dead hostages were initially returned to Israel.
Trump went to Israel earlier this week to oversee the implementation of the first phase of the peace agreement and address the Israeli Knesset.
Mamdani on Wednesday also reiterated his long-stated position on whether he would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is under arrest. arrest warrant it was imposed by the International Criminal Court.
“This is a city that believes in international law,” he said, adding: “I believe we should support the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court.”
Mamdani added that he would not create new legislation to support an international arrest warrant, but would only “exhaust all legal options available to me” to arrest someone on a warrant if they visited New York.
