Late last week, we learned that Rama Duwaji, the wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, illustrated a book for Palestinian-American author and journalist Susan Abulhawa. Abulhawa has a troubling history of antisemitism, including calling Jews “cockroaches,” “rootless parasites,” and “rabid demons.”
This revelation came shortly after it was reported that Duwaji had liked numerous social media posts celebrating the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack in Israel. In response, Mamdani defended his wife by claiming that she got the freelance illustrating job through a third party and was unaware that it was for Abulhawa. He described Abulhawa’s remarks as “reprehensible,” which seems consistent with Mamdani’s pattern of distancing himself from friends and allies.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s family has crossed paths with the anti-Israel activist who called Jews “cockroaches” and “vampires,” despite his attempts to distance himself from her.
Susan Abulhawa, 55, is a member of the Advisory Policy Council of the Gaza Tribunal along with Mamdani’s Columbia University professor father, Mahmood Mamdani.
The group, which features just 29 members, was established in London in 2024 and describes itself as an independent “people’s tribunal” that collects evidence against Israel in Gaza. British Member of Parliament Jeremy Corbyn is another prominent figure within it.
