Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s wife was deeply involved in a Democratic socialist activist campaign pushing political candidates critical of Israel and backing a controversial bill targeting pro-Israel charities, The Post has learned.
First lady Rama Duwaji, a professional illustrator who Mamdani has bizarrely claimed isn’t a public figure, created artwork for the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America as the lefty group unleashed a public campaign called “PalestineOnTheBallot.com.”
The effort promoted candidates running in Democratic Party primaries who snubbed funding from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and vowed to support the Not on Our Dime Act — a bill that would punish or dissolve registered charities found to support “Israeli settler violence.”
@nyc_dsa
The Democratic primary is on June 25 and Palestine is on the ballot, even for your NY state reps. Are your NY Reps pro-ceasefire? Do they want to end subsidies for Israeli war crimes? Are they taking money from the AIPAC of NY? Go to palestineontheballot.com to see where they stand. Then, make your voting plan and get out the vote for pro-Palestinian socialists who need your support. Animation by Rama Duwaji Website by Dylan Awalt-Conley #🇵🇸 #nyc #newyork #vote #palestine
♬ original sound – NYC-DSA
The bill was sponsored by her husband, who was then a state assemblyman.
“The Democratic primary is on June 25 and Palestine is on the Ballot, even for your NY State Reps,” the animated message on TikTok and Instagram for the DSA said.
“Are your New York Reps pro-ceasefire? Do they want to end subsidies for Israeli war crimes? Are they taking money from AIPAC of NY?”
The animation shows a ballot, where voters can plug in their address to see where their elected officials stand on the Palestinian-Israeli war in Gaza, along with illustrations of voters.
New York City’s first lady Rama Duwaji created artwork for a Democratic Socialists of America campaign to promote anti-Israel political candidates. @NYC_DSA/TikTok
Duwaji made artwork for a social media video urging followers to go to “PalestineOnTheBallot.com” ahead of New York state’s primary elections. @NYC_DSA/TikTok
“Go to Palestine.com to see where they stand. Then, make your voting plan and get out the vote for pro-Palestinian socialists who need your support,” the pitch said.
“Animation by Rama Duwaji.”
The PalestineOnTheBallot.com website also called on supporters to volunteer for ex-Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s failed re-election campaign. A foe of Israel, Bowman was trounced in the Democratic primary by George Latimer.
Duwaji was given credit for the illustrations in the TikTok video’s caption. @NYC_DSA/TikTok
The revelation of her gig with the anti-Israel DSA comes after old tweets surfaced of Duwaji liking social media posts cheering Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught against Israel, praising Palestinian terrorists and criticizing the US military.
Duwaji also provided illustrations for an antisemitic author, The Post previously reported.
One pro-Israel activist said Duwaji’s high-profile role in the DSA anti-Israel campaign is further proof that she and her hubby, Mamdani, are two peas in a pod united in their rhetoric.
“They’re both filled with vile hatred for the Jewish people of Israel,” said Dov Hikind, a former Brooklyn state assemblyman who represented heavily Orthodox Jewish Borough Park and founded Americans Against Antisemitism.
“The first lady is more radical than Mamdani is and that’s saying quite a lot. She’s dangerous and he’s dangerous. They’re radical Islamists. What a great couple. Mazel Tov!”
Mamdani, a proud member of the DSA, was one of the left-wing group’s leading lawmakers in Albany. In October 2024, the DSA was the first political organization to support his successful run for mayor last year.
Duwaji’s activism flies in the face of Mamdani’s recent claim that his wife is just a “private person,” a line he rolled out earlier this month after reports surfaced of her anti-Israel rants and associations, critics said.
“Does anybody believe she’s a private citizen?” Hikind said.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said his wife is a “private person” who should be spared criticism for her work. WWD via Getty Images
Duwaji’s work on the DSA’s Palestine on The Ballot campaign shows her taking a more active public role alongside her future husband in backing the Hamas-led Palestinians in Gaza and accusing the Jewish state of committing “war crimes,” Hikind and others said.
Mamdani’s own anti-Israel activism continues to be a source of tension with some pro-Israel Jews.
He supports the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against Israel, which the Anti-Defamation League considers a form of antisemitism for trying to delegitimize and damage the economy of the Jewish state.
The mayor has said he would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he came to New York, claiming he’s a war criminal.
Last week on St. Patrick’s Day, he again accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza — a day after meeting with Orthodox Jewish leaders and vowing to crack down on antisemitism in the city.
Mamdani and Duwaji had no immediate comment.
