New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani used a St. Patrick’s Day event to complain about “genocide” in Gaza, arguing that the Irish and Palestinians could relate over their shared histories marked by oppression.
Mamdani joined former Irish President Mary Robinson at a breakfast honoring Irish New Yorkers, and he used his remarks to praise Robinson for her support for Palestinians.
Mamdani rips ‘genocide’ in Palestine during St. Patrick’s Day event https://t.co/qXhjOmqn2e pic.twitter.com/2jP4BHzOWp
— New York Post (@nypost) March 17, 2026
“I say this as over the past few years, as we’ve witnessed a genocide unfold before our eyes, there has been deafening silence from so many. For those who have long cared about universal human rights and the extension of them to Palestinians, silence, however, is nothing new – for Palestinians are so often left to weep alone,” Mamdani said. “Yet former President Robinson has never been silent.”
“The story of the Irish, both in Ireland and in New York City, is at one time a story of oppression, of subjugation, and of discrimination,” Mamdani said, arguing that it was “no coincidence” that the Irish would see their own history reflected in Gaza. “Who can better understand those who weep than those who have been made to weep for so long?”
Robinson, who served as President of Ireland from 1990-1997, followed Mamdani’s lead, and after saying that St. Patrick’s Day was a time to celebrate Irish culture and traditions, it was also a time to remember all those who may yet be “living under the shadow of war and suffering.”
“For many Irish people, these realities resonate deeply, as the mayor has said. Our own history holds memories of famine, exile and conflict. Perhaps because of that, many recognize echoes of Ireland’s past and the suffering of others today and the pain of displacement and the enduring human longing for dignity, justice, and self-determination,” she said.
Mamdani referenced Irish support for a Palestinian state in his official message to New Yorkers as well.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, New York. pic.twitter.com/DPCGPlFbE2
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) March 17, 2026
