New York, May 17: New York City Mayor Joharan Mamdani sparked controversy by posting a provocative video on his official platform to commemorate “Nakba Day.” This post has drawn sharp criticism from Jewish organizations and local leaders.
“Nakba,” an Arabic term meaning “catastrophe,” refers to the displacement of Palestinians during the establishment of Israel in 1948. In the video shared by Mayor Mamdani, an interview with Inia Bushnak, a resident of New York whom he referred to as a “Nakba survivor,” is featured.
In the video, Bushnak recounts her family’s escape from Jerusalem during the 1948 war, claiming they were forced to flee due to the arrival of Jewish people in the city.
Mamdani’s accompanying post stated, “Today is Nakba Day, an annual day commemorating the formation of Israel between 1947 and 1949 and the displacement of over 700,000 Palestinians.”
The video alleges that Jewish militias destroyed over 400 villages and committed mass killings. It concludes with the assertion that the displacement and Nakba for Palestinians continue to this day.
However, the video does not mention the rejection of the UN partition plan by Arab nations or the wars initiated by neighboring Arab countries against the newly formed Jewish state.
The Jewish community in New York responded swiftly to Mayor Mamdani’s post. Critics accused him not only of distorting historical facts but also questioned the timing of the post.
The video was uploaded at 5:40 PM on Friday, just before the Jewish community began lighting candles for Shabbat.
In response, the UJA-Federation of New York stated, “You chose to post this at 5:40 PM, just as Jewish people in New York were preparing to light Shabbat candles. We noticed.”
This is not the first time Mamdani has faced backlash for his comments. He has previously made statements against Israel and in support of Palestine.
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