Mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani fundraised for an infamous United Nations relief agency with well-documented ties to Hamas over the weekend — drawing outrage from Republican North Country Rep. Elise Stefanik.
Stefanik, who has said she’ll run in next year’s gubernatorial election, also tore into Gov. Kathy Hochul over her support for the Democratic mayoral nominee, Mamdani, as she denounced him as an “antisemite.”
“On the eve of all the living hostages held by Hamas terrorists finally returning home, @KathyHochul endorsed Antisemite Communist NYC Mayor candidate is raising funds for an organization that participated in the October 7th terrorist attacks and brutally held hostages captive,” Stefanik raged on X.
“Do not let the pro-Hamas jihadis win and destroy NY! FIRE HOCHUL.”
Mamdani had proudly posted an image of himself running the “New York City Gaza 5K” to raise money for the notorious UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) on Sunday.
The Big Apple mayoral frontrunner billed UNRWA as a benevolent organization that “delivers critical humanitarian aid and services to Palestinians in Gaza.”
Following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack against Israel, multiple investigations found that several planners and participants in the massacre were on UNRWA’s payroll.
UNRWA later fired 10 of the 12 staff members allegedly involved in the attacks after being informed by Israel. The other two were confirmed to have died.
Over 10% of UNRWA’s main and senior education staff in the Gaza Strip were members of Hamas or the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, according to a November 2024 report from the Israeli non-profit organization IMPACT-se.
In 2023, the US sent $154 million to UNRWA. Trump quickly yanked funding for the group after roaring back into the White House in January.
The Post reached out to Mamdani’s campaign for comment.
His wife, meanwhile, on Sunday publicly mourned the death of Palestinian influencer Saleh al-Jafarawi, who openly glorified the Oct. 7 attacks.
Jafarawi, who documented the war in Gaza, was confirmed killed Sunday in clashes between Hamas and other Palestinian factions, according to reports.
“Beloved Jafarawi,” Rama Duwaji, an animator who married Mamdani in February, wrote on her Instagram story, along with four broken-heart emojis.
Mamdani’s touting his third time running the “New York City Gaza 5K” came hours before Hamas released the last of the 20 living Israeli hostages it was holding in captivity.
Israel and Hamas entered a ceasefire on Friday afternoon of last week in a deal that was brokered in part by President Trump, which was part of a broader peace agreement calling for the release of the hostages.
Stefanik has emerged as one of the most ardent pro-Israel voices in Congress and a fierce critic of Mamdani, whom Hochul endorsed last month.
The congresswoman is gearing up to challenge Hochul for governor during the 2026 midterm election cycle next year.
She also slammed the Democratic governor for not mentioning Trump in her statement celebrating the hostages being released.
Hochul, without referring to Trump by name, said she was grateful for his administration’s role in securing their return.
Others also quickly joined Stefanik in ripping Mamdani for promoting UNRWA.
“UNRWA employees participated in the October 7 massacre and kept hostages hidden in their homes. This is how you choose to spend your time on the eve of their release. I can’t say I’m surprised. What a disgrace,” Irit Mizrahi Tratt, former chair of the Trump47 Women’s Leadership Coalition, jabbed.
“Reports confirm that several @UNRWA employees took part in the October 7th massacre in Israel,” Todd Richman, of the group Democratic Majority for Israel, posted on X.
“The same agency supposedly dedicated to ‘humanitarian aid’ had staff involved in terror. Its schools promote the destruction of @Israel and Jews. Let that sink in if you vote for this guy @ZohranKMamdani running and raising money for it!”
