New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani injected Middle East politics into St. Patrick’s Day celebrations Tuesday, comparing the historical suffering of the Irish to what he described as a “genocide” in Gaza and criticizing what he called a “deafening silence” from others on the conflict.
The Democratic socialist made the remarks while hosting former Irish President Mary Robinson at a breakfast at Gracie Mansion, an event meant to kick off the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Day festivities.
“Who can better understand those who weep than those who have been made to weep for so long?” Mamdani said, invoking Ireland’s history of “oppression, subjugation, and discrimination” before pivoting to the Israel-Hamas war.
“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,” he added.
Mamdani praised Robinson for what he described as her longstanding advocacy on human rights issues, including support for Palestinians.
“For those who have long cared about universal human rights and the extension of them to Palestinians, silence, however, is nothing new,” he said. “Palestinians are so often left to weep alone.”
“Instead of talking about the holiday, he went off on climate change and even pushed claims about a ‘genocide’ in Gaza. New Yorkers are left wondering—what does any of this have to do with St. Patrick’s Day?” one X account posted.
🚨 At a St. Patrick's Day pre-press conference at Gracie Mansion.
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani turned what should’ve been a celebration into a full-blown activist rally.
Instead of talking about the holiday, he went off on climate change and even pushed claims about a “genocide” in… pic.twitter.com/ShHAXjArxX
— Viral News NYC (@ViralNewsNYC) March 17, 2026
Robinson, who served as Ireland’s first female president in the 1990s, struck a broader tone, pointing to conflicts around the world while tying them to Ireland’s own past.
“We know others are living under the shadow of war and suffering in Iran, in Lebanon, in Palestine, in Ukraine, in Sudan, and Democratic Republic of Congo,” she said, adding that Ireland’s history of “famine, exile, and conflict” informs its perspective on global crises.
“For many Irish people, these realities resonate deeply,” Robinson said, calling for “moral courage” and urging people to “stand on the side of peace” and “refuse despair.”
The mayor also used the event to thank Irish New Yorkers for helping advance what he called a “future of justice.”
The remarks came just hours before Mamdani was scheduled to attend a Catholic mass alongside NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and march in the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade.
Watch the clip below:
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
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