Rama Duwaji faces renewed scrutiny over alleged likes tied to Oct. 7 posts
rama duwaji is facing renewed scrutiny after a report alleged she liked an Instagram post dismissing an investigation into sexual violence during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack in Israel as a “mass rape” hoax. The scrutiny centers on social media activity described as spanning posts shared in the immediate aftermath of Oct. 7 and a separate post dated February 2024. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani addressed questions about the controversy at a news conference on Friday (ET), describing his wife as “a private person. ”
What the report alleges about the Instagram activity
The new allegation involves a February 2024 Instagram post that claimed an investigation by into sexual violence during the Oct. 7 attack was “fabricated. ” The report said rama duwaji allegedly liked that post.
The same reporting described the allegation as part of a broader wave of attention on Duwaji’s online interactions that surfaced in recent days. Duwaji is described as a Houston-born illustrator who identifies as Syrian and who married Mamdani in early 2025.
Other posts tied to the scrutiny were described as appearing critical of Israel and being shared in the immediate aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack. One post highlighted in the coverage was shared on the day of the attack by the Instagram account “The Slow Factory. ” The post featured images described as a bulldozer breaching a barrier separating Israel from Gaza and individuals riding atop a captured Israeli Defense Force vehicle, with text over the images reading “Breaking the walls of apartheid and military occupation” and “Resisting apartheid since 1948, ” alongside the slogan “Systemic change for collective liberation. ”
As of Saturday (ET), the report said a like associated with Duwaji on that post remained publicly visible.
City Hall response and Mamdani’s public remarks
City Hall’s public line on Oct. 7 was reiterated attributed to a spokesperson: “Mayor Mamdani has been clear and consistent: Hamas is a terrorist organization, October 7th was a horrific war crime, and he has condemned that violence unequivocally. ”
Separately, when asked about his wife’s social media activity at a news conference on Friday (ET), Mamdani described Duwaji as “a private person. ”
The coverage also describes additional posts Duwaji engaged with as being shared by the Instagram account “The People’s Forum, ” including promotion of anti-Israel protests, calls to cut U. S. aid to Israel, and activist organizing efforts. One post mentioned in the reporting included the slogan “from the river to the sea, ” which the coverage noted is often understood as calling for the total elimination of Israel from the lands between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.
Immediate reactions and what remains unclear
Duwaji did not respond to multiple requests for comment described in the coverage. The reporting also stated that it was unclear when she liked the “The Slow Factory” post, or other materials referenced in the scrutiny.
The controversy has also been framed against Mamdani’s public messaging about the Oct. 7 attack, which the coverage describes as calling Hamas’ actions “war crimes, ” while also criticizing Israel’s military response.
Quick context
The scrutiny is focused on alleged and visible likes on Instagram posts tied to Oct. 7, 2023, and a February 2024 post disputing an investigation into sexual violence during the attack. The issue has escalated publicly in recent days as multiple posts and accounts were cited in reports examining Duwaji’s activity.
What’s next
Further questions are likely to follow City Hall and the mayor’s office as attention remains fixed on the scope and timing of the likes described in the reports. For now, the mayor has offered a direct political condemnation of Hamas and a personal boundary around his wife’s public profile, calling rama duwaji “a private person, ” as the scrutiny continues into the weekend (ET).
