New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, is expected to travel to Syria and Lebanon next month, protected by police officers assigned to her taxpayer-funded New York Police Department (NYPD) security detail, The New York Post reported on Monday evening, citing a source familiar with the details.
Both countries are on the United States' "Level 4: Do not Travel" list for citizens. Lebanon's Level 4 status was issued on June 5, while Syria's was issued on July 8.
According to the source, Duwaji requested the NYPD security detail after traveling abroad in July with no police protection.
Mamdani’s office later confirmed the trip and the police security detail, The New York Post reported, but did not provide any additional detail.
“Upon the strong recommendation of the NYPD, the First Lady’s security detail will be joining her when she travels to visit family in Syria and Lebanon,” said mayoral spokesperson Dora Pekec, per The New York Post.
The source familiar with the trip told The New York Post that the trip is not official business and that "it’s not doing anything for the city.”
Trip puts NYPD officers in danger
Pro-Israel Jewish advocate Dov Hikind, founder of Americans Against Antisemitism and a former Brooklyn Assemblyman, opposed sending NYPD officers to the Middle East on X/Twitter, following the report's publication.
“We’re putting the police officers in danger," Hikind wrote. "They will be viewed as the bad guys. These are war zones."
"Duwaji doesn’t need security. She will get a hero’s welcome and be protected by Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis.”
"Duwaji will be fine," he said.