New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani used a St. Patrick’s Day breakfast at Gracie Mansion on Tuesday, March 17, to link Irish history to the war in Gaza, saying the world has shown “deafening silence” as a “genocide” has unfolded in Palestine.
Mamdani made the remarks while hosting former Irish President Mary Robinson, who attended as the guest of honour for the city’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
Mamdani Gaza genocide remarks at Gracie Mansion
In his address, Mamdani said Irish experiences of oppression and discrimination could help audiences understand the suffering of others today, before turning to Gaza and praising Robinson’s record on human rights. He said Robinson had long spoken up for Palestinians and contrasted that with what he described as widespread public and political silence.
The New York Post reported the breakfast drew about 50 attendees and served as an early official event ahead of the city’s annual parade and related St. Patrick’s Day observances.
Mary Robinson highlights global conflicts
Robinson, who led Ireland in the 1990s as its first female president, also spoke at the breakfast and referenced multiple conflicts, including Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Ukraine, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. She said Ireland’s history of famine, exile and conflict shaped how many Irish people relate to the suffering of others and called for community and “moral courage” in defence of human dignity.
Parade plans and a question on Irish unity
Mamdani’s comments came hours before he was scheduled to attend a Catholic Mass and then join the St. Patrick’s Day Parade along Fifth Avenue, where he was expected to march alongside NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, according to reports.
A day earlier, Mamdani was asked whether he supports a united Ireland and replied that he had not thought enough about the question to offer a position, the New York Post reported.
Mamdani, who was sworn in as New York City’s mayor on Jan. 1, 2026, has frequently highlighted human rights issues in public remarks since taking office