New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani responded Monday night for the first time to public criticism over a Nakba Day video produced by his administration and shared on his official accounts, where it drew millions of views. Mamdani did not apologize for posting the video and said he had wanted to appear in it himself.
“I was proud to commemorate Nakba Day,” Mamdani said at a news conference. “It was a privilege to share the story of a Nakba survivor who is also a city resident.” He said he had planned to take part in the filming but fell ill. Alongside his defiant response to critics, Mamdani added that “recognizing the pain of one people does not negate recognizing the pain of another.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamadani's video marking Nakba Day, filmed with public funds
(Video: From the social network X)
Meanwhile, a provocative sculpture in the form of a raised middle finger was placed outside Mamdani’s office Monday by city artist Scott LoBaido, who has protested against him since his election.
The Nakba Day video was produced by a city team, directed by the mayor’s video department director and published Friday evening. It features city resident Inea Bushnaq, who says her family was forced to flee its home in East Jerusalem for Nablus “because of the arrival of the Zionists.” The video drew 11 million views on social media and became the center of a public controversy.
The Anti-Defamation League in New York sharply criticized the move, saying the use of city resources to publish a one-sided video that ignores the UN partition plan, which was accepted by Jews but rejected by Palestinians, as well as the Jewish refugees forced to leave Arab countries, “is not commemoration but propaganda.” The organization added that the decision to publish the video shortly before Shabbat was a provocation.
Following the video, prominent Jewish community leaders decided to boycott a Jewish American Heritage Month event the mayor is hosting Monday night at Gracie Mansion ahead of the holiday of Shavuot. UJA-Federation of New York said in an official statement that it would not attend an event hosted by a mayor who denies a central pillar of Jewish heritage: the State of Israel as the home of the Jewish people.
Mark Treyger, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, which organizes the city’s Celebrate Israel Parade, also joined the boycott. Mamdani himself plans to boycott that parade. Treyger said the episode was a troubling sign for New York and that the mayor had published a video omitting significant parts of history. He noted that the post came shortly after harsh anti-Israel protests outside synagogues, and that residents are seeking the kind of leadership New Yorkers deserve to reduce tensions.
Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis, also said he would not attend the event, saying Jewish heritage must include recognition of the State of Israel. “Jewish history did not end in 1946,” Potasnik said.
The statue placed in front of Mamdani's office:
Former New York state Assemblyman Dov Hikind called on leaders to boycott Mamdani’s event, saying attendance would legitimize the mayor’s anti-Zionist views.
Despite the criticism, some leaders, including Rabbi David Niederman of the anti-Zionist Satmar Hasidic community, confirmed they would attend. A City Hall spokesman said the mayor is committed to building ties with Jewish communities, noting that Mamdani’s budget plan includes an additional $26 million to prevent hate crimes.
Alongside the political boycott, opposition to the mayor also reached the streets. A large protest rally titled “Stop Mamdani” was held Sunday in the Brighton Beach neighborhood of Brooklyn. The rally was organized by local Assemblyman Michael Novakhov. Organizers said participants sought to unite residents in demanding safer streets and opposing what they described as “the mayor’s radical communist agenda.” Protesters also denounced rising antisemitism, anti-police sentiment and anti-American and anti-Israel ideologies in the city.