New York State Attorney General Letitia James quietly circulated a petition Saturday to other Democrats pushing an end to the “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza that failed to mention Hamas — until The Post came calling.
An early draft of the petition circulated to multiple elected officials and obtained by The Post did not condemn Hamas terrorists for the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“We are united in this moment by a truth we can no longer ignore: a famine is unfolding in Gaza before the eyes of the world,” according to the draft, which claimed to be on behalf of a “coalition of multiracial, multiethnic, and multifaith elected officials.”
“There is no denying it—we are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe …” the petition added.
“We urge our fellow Americans to speak out, to support relief efforts, and to demand that our leaders use every tool of diplomacy to end this crisis. History will remember what we did, or failed to do, in this moment.”
James’ office initially declined to comment on Saturday when The Post reached out about the original draft of the letter.
Hours later, the AG’s office sent out a news release with a new version of the letter calling for “immediate” aid to Gaza — and condemning the terrorist group.
“We are united in this moment by both condemning the October 7th massacre perpetrated by Hamas and an unavoidable truth: a famine is unfolding in Gaza before the eyes of the world.”
A spokesman for James insisted the reference to Hamas was added “far prior” to The Post’s inquiry.
More than 60 Democratic federal, state and city elected officials signed onto the petition, including Rep. Jerold Nadler and NYC Comptroller Brad Lander.
Anti-Israel Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a Queens socialist who James is endorsing in November’s NYC mayoral election, was not among the letter’s signatories but is vacationing in Uganda through the end of the month.
Councilwoman Inna Vernikov (D-Brooklyn) ripped the original draft of the letter through a spokesperson.
“New York is being run by a cabal of leftist Hamas apologists who would rather shield terrorists than speak the truth,” Vernikov’s rep said.
“Any acknowledgment of a humanitarian crisis without addressing its cause — a terrorist regime that uses civilians as human shields — is dishonest. Ignoring that reality isn’t compassion; it’s complicity,” the spokesperson added.
State Assemblyman Charles Fall, a Democrat representing parts of Staten Island, and Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan, told The Post he signed on to the letter because the Gaza crisis is a “humanitarian issue.”
“People are hurting, starving. Think about the kids,” said Fall, who has two daughters, ages 6 and 11. “The letter is balanced. It talks about the hostages.”
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