‘Strike, Strike Tel Aviv’: Mamdani Introduced at Ramadan Celebration by Extremist Who Called on Hamas To Bomb Jewish State
Abdullah Akl, political director of the Muslim American Society of New York, also faced investigation from Harvard over anti-Semitic social media posts
Jon Levine
March 9, 2026
Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D., N.Y.) celebrated Ramadan last week at a Staten Island mosque where he was introduced by an extremist who has called on Hamas to strike Tel Aviv and led a crowd in chants for "intifada."
"He’s joining us today, straight from City Hall, to not only welcome us into this blessed month of Ramadan, but to also join the largest Muslim congregation here in Staten Island," Abdullah Akl said during his introductory remarks at the Muslim American Society (MAS) in Staten Island. "I am very excited to announce the new mayor of New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani."
A smiling Mamdani delivered brief remarks in which he said it was "such a privilege and a pleasure" to be with Akl and the other attendees.
Akl, the political director of MAS New York, first came to prominence in 2024 when he led a chant to "strike" Tel Aviv during a protest in New York City. Then a graduate student at Harvard Extension School, Akl called former Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida—whom Israel killed in August 2025—"our beloved," the Washington Free Beacon reported at the time.
https://freebeacon.com/democrats/strike-strike-tel-aviv-mamdani-introduced-at-ramadan-celebration-by-extremist-who-called-on-hamas-to-bomb-jewish-state/
