Kalman Yeger Image by YouTube

By Ari Feldman April 2, 2019

New York City Councilman Kalman Yeger has been removed from his post in the council’s immigration committee following a tweet in which he wrote, “Palestine does not exist,” The New York Times reported.

Yeger, who represents a heavily Orthodox part of Brooklyn, made the remark on Twitter last week, in response to a tweet from a Palestinian journalist. He immediately faced criticism on social media and from elected officials and was accused of Islamophobia and spreading hate. On Friday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that if Yeger was “not going to apologize, he shouldn’t be on [the immigration] committee.”

Yeger’s remark had sparked protests and clashes between protesters and counter-protesters in Brooklyn on Thursday. The incident included apparent members of the Jewish Defense League, a frequently violent extremist far right group, surrounding a Muslim woman and yelling at her.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

In the face of the criticism, Yeger has been unapologetic.

“There is no state by that name,” he said at a news conference on Thursday. “There is no place by that name. That’s a fact. I didn’t make it up, I didn’t invent it.”

In a tweet Monday evening Yeger did not contest City Council Speaker Corey Johnson’s decision to remove him from the committee, and again held firm that he believes there is no Palestinian state.

The state of Palestine is recognized bilaterally by 137 nations, according to the United Nations. The United States has not officially recognized a Palestinian state.

Ari Feldman is a staff writer at the Forward. Contact him at feldman@forward.com or follow him on Twitter @aefeldman

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount