Rama Duwaji, the wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, has come under scrutiny for her involvement in creating artwork for an essay collection by a controversial anti-Israel activist. The activist in question has previously referred to Jewish people using derogatory terms such as “vampires,” “demons,” and “ghouls,” and has expressed support for a recent terrorist attack on Israel, which took place on October 7, 2023.
Duwaji, who is a Syrian American artist and serves as New York City’s first lady, contributed the primary illustration for “A Trail of Soap,” an essay authored by Susan Abulhawa. This essay is featured in the latest edition of “Everything Is Political,” a magazine produced by the organization Slow Factory, according to a report by the Washington Free Beacon.
Susan Abulhawa, known for her strong criticism of Israel, has faced condemnation from the Anti-Defamation League for what they describe as her “inflammatory rhetoric” against the Jewish state.
In the aftermath of Hamas’s brutal attack on Israel, Abulhawa penned an op-ed where she described the event as “a spectacular moment that shocked the world,” suggesting that Israel may have been aware of the impending attack but allowed it to occur nonetheless.
In her article for “The Electronic Intifada,” Abulhawa wrote, “Whether or not Israel indeed knew of the plans in advance, those few freedom fighters inspired not only the whole of Palestine but also the oppressed masses worldwide to imagine what freedom looks like; what resistance is possible; and what life is attainable.”
The Washington Free Beacon’s investigation also highlighted numerous social media posts by Abulhawa that contain hostile remarks toward Israelis and Jews.
âIt was always about stealing more of our land. Nothing is ever enough for these rootless, soulless ghouls,â she wrote in a Dec. 22, 2025, X post discussing Israeli settlements.
In another post critical of Israelâs war against Hamas, Abulhawa argued that âGaza City, which has 5000 years of recorded history, is currently being obliterated by a 77 year old cultureless, rootless human aberration in the form of a manufactured ânation.â
âWe live in the time of jewish supremacist demons,â her Sept. 21, 2025 X post continued.
The Palestinian American author has also called a pro-Israel commentator a “lying Jewish supremacist cockroach”; bemoaned “Dual loyalty zionistsâ; and described Israelis as “demonic parasite[s],” â”sons of satan,” and âJewish supremacist vampires” in other recent posts highlighted by the outlet.
City Hall did not immediately respond to The Postâs request for comment.
A spokeswoman for Mamdani told the Washington Free Beacon that Duwaji does not have a relationship with Abulhawa.
“As is common for freelance illustrators, the First Lady was commissioned to illustrate an excerpt of Abulhawa’s book by an outside publisher,” the spokeswoman said. “She has never engaged with or met Susan Abulhawa, nor had she seen the tweets in question.”
The revelation that Duwajiâs illustration is being featured by Slow Factoryâs magazine comes days after Jewish Insider found Mamdaniâs wife liked a celebratory Instagram post from the lefty group that included an image from Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel.
The post liked by Duwaji included images allegedly taken from livestreamed footage of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack showing a gleeful group riding on what appeared to be a commandeered Israel Defense Forces vehicle with the words âresisting apartheid since 1948,â the report from Jewish Insider said.
âBreaking the walls of apartheid and military occupation. Oct. 7, 2023,â read another image on the same post, which the outlet reported showed a bulldozer used by terrorists to breach the barrier between Gaza and Israel that day.
