Israeli Consul General in New York Ofir Akunis stated that Mayor Zohran Mamdani implicitly acknowledged the Jewish connection to the land of Israel with his Tisha B'Av message, marking the anniversary of the destruction of both of the Jewish Temples in Jerusalem."I'm glad to see you finally admit the history of the Jewish people in our ancient homeland, the land of Israel which dates back more than 2000 years. It’s about time to understand that Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people!" Akunis wrote in response to Mamdani.