New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani drew sharp condemnation Friday after posting a message commemorating “Nakba Day,” with critics accusing him of distorting the history surrounding the establishment of the State of Israel and inflaming tensions against Jews in New York City.

Mamdani, who has frequently criticized Israel, published the post shortly before the start of Shabbos for many Jewish New Yorkers. The message honored the Palestinian observance marking what Palestinians refer to as the “Nakba,” or “catastrophe,” tied to Israel’s declaration of independence on May 14, 1948. The post included a professionally produced interview with New York resident Inea Bushnaq, described as a “Nakba survivor.”

“Today marks Nakba Day, an annual remembrance to commemorate the expulsion of more than 700,000 Palestinians between 1947 and 1949 during the creation of the State of Israel and the year that followed,” Hizzoner wrote in an X post on his official mayoral account.

“Inea is a New Yorker and a Nakba survivor. She shared her story with us – one of home, tradition and memory over generations.”

Today marks Nakba Day, an annual day of remembrance to commemorate the expulsion of more than 700,000 Palestinians between 1947 and 1949 during the creation of the State of Israel and the year that followed.

Inea is a New Yorker and a Nakba survivor. She shared her story with us… pic.twitter.com/z2PBOaJq5Z

— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) May 15, 2026

In the accompanying video, Bushnaq recalled leaving Jerusalem as a child during the 1948 war.

In the video, Bushnaq details fleeing her home at age nine because “the Zionists were coming into Jerusalem.”

The video also asserted that Palestinian displacement remains ongoing today.

Critics reacted furiously to the mayor’s message, accusing him of promoting anti-Israel propaganda while ignoring the broader historical context of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

“Mamdani is dangerous, he’s evil, he is stirring the pot of hate,” Americans Against Antisemitism founder Dov Hikind told The Post, stressing how Jewish communities are being targeted in attacks.

“He is corrupting history. He doesn’t know his f—king history,” he blasted, adding that the United Nations voted to create the State of Israel and a Palestinian state, with Jews accepting the plan while five Arab nations – Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq – “rejected it and went to war with Israel.”

Israel survived the war that followed, while Arab nations later established Nakba commemorations marking the defeat and displacement connected to the conflict.

The mayor’s social media post quickly ignited intense criticism online, with opponents accusing him of selectively presenting history and encouraging hostility toward Jewish residents.

“He ignores that roughly 850,000 Jews were expelled or forced to flee Arab countries in the years that followed,” one digital naysayer raged on X.

“He presents ‘Nakba Day’ as though it is about grief, when in reality it is a movement that rejects Israel’s existence (and along with it millions of Jews). In a city where Jews are already facing rampant harassment and violence, this kind of one-sided historical revisionism fuels hostility toward Jews.”

As anti-Israel demonstrations continue throughout New York City, including protests held outside synagogues, critics pointed out that Mamdani has not publicly condemned the protests and instead has continued voicing support for activists aligned with the movement.

“This video provokes and justifies acts of revenge and hate on Jews and Jewish Synagogues across NYC,” one commenter raged, as another blasted him for “leaving out some key historical facts.”

“Ok!! I’m done being nice… You are putting Jews everywhere at risk by not providing historical context for this,” United Jewish Teachers President Moshe Spern fumed on X.

“You are putting Jews in harms way!! Enough is enough!!”

Mamdani’s relationship with many Jewish leaders has remained tense since his mayoral campaign last year, with opponents criticizing both his rhetoric and his strong anti-Israel positions.

Additional controversy has surrounded the mayor’s refusal to denounce the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which many Jewish groups view as a call for violence against Jews.

His wife, First Lady Rama Duwaji, has also faced criticism over past social media activity praising Palestinian terrorists, attacking Israel, and allegedly liking posts celebrating the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre in Israel.

Mamdani defended his wife amid the backlash, while Duwaji issued a statement in April apologizing for the “hurt” caused by the posts, though she stopped short of specifically apologizing for the anti-Israel content itself.