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Edited by: Fern Sidman
A protest unfolded in Brooklyn on Sunday as demonstrators gathered outside the office of City Councilwoman Shahana Hanif, accusing her of fueling an anti-Israel sentiment in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. According to a report in The New York Post, around 60 people participated in the vigil, expressing their frustration with Hanif’s clear lack of support for her Jewish constituents. The demonstration coincided with a larger rally in Central Park, where thousands gathered in solidarity with Israeli hostages still being held in captivity by Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
No idea, we don’t speak for any org.
But we stand by our statement that Shahana Hanif sympathizes with America’s enemies, we strongly urge Boro Park leadership to support/endorse pro-Israel candidates that are challenging her in the NYC Democratic primaryhttps://t.co/R4z3JVVast
— FrumNews.com (@Frum_News) October 7, 2024
Councilwoman Hanif, who represents a district that includes Kensington, Boro Park, Carroll Gardens, Park Slope, and Cobble Hill, has come under fire for comments she made on social media following the attack. As per the information provided in The New York Post report, in an October 13th tweet, Hanif blamed Israel for the violence, stating, “The root cause of this war is the illegal, immoral, and unjust occupation of the Palestinian people. There will be no peace unless the rights of all people in this region are respected.” Her remarks have been met with outrage, particularly from Jewish residents in her district, some of whom accuse her of exacerbating tensions rather than fostering unity.
Shahana Hanif hates Jews. She wants them to cease to exist.
Strip her of committee assignments, censure her, and vote her out! https://t.co/fFoOMrcTUs
— Nicole Kiprilov (@KiprilovNicole) October 6, 2024
“This is a district that is about 30% Jewish, and six days after October 7thj, she blamed the murdered and raped for their own rape and murder,” said Danny Aronson, an event organizer, during the vigil, as quoted by The New York Post. Aronson and others criticized Hanif’s stance, arguing that her comments and subsequent actions have alienated Jewish residents and made an already volatile situation worse. He went on to accuse Hanif of amplifying violent rhetoric, particularly in light of her arrest at a pro-Hamas protest shortly after the attack. “Her tweets globalize the Intifada,” Aronson told The New York Post, referring to the Palestinian uprisings that resulted in widespread violence and loss of life in Israel.
The demonstrators outside Hanif’s office held a moment of silence for the approximately 1,200 people brutally massacred during the October 7th attack and said prayers for the 101 hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza. The New York Post also reported that they also read a petition calling on Hanif to take “concrete actions” to support the Jewish community, particularly in her capacity as co-chair of the City Council’s Task Force to Combat Hate. The petition called attention to the feelings of betrayal that many in the community feel, especially as they struggle with the fear and trauma sparked by recent events.
While Hanif was not available for comment at the time of The New York Post report, her critics continue to call for accountability and action. They demand that she not only clarify her position but also take tangible steps to repair the damaged relationship between her office and the Jewish community. For the residents of her district and beyond, this moment represents a crucial test of leadership and compassion in a city grappling with the ripple effects of violence far from its borders.
Tiffany Cabán, Alexa Avilés, Shahana Hanif & Sandy Nurse dressed for visiting the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” at @Columbia
Your electeds ready to ‘Globalize the Int*fada.’
👊👊👊👊#CMTiffanyCaban #CMAlexaAviles #CMShahanaHanif #CMSandyNurse #ColumbiaUniversity pic.twitter.com/8EcPgL11iJ
— Follow The Money NYC (@followmoneynyc) October 3, 2024
Also on Sunday, in an emotional gathering at Central Park, families of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza came together to demand urgent global action for the return of their loved ones. Organized by the New York Hostages and Families Forum, the event featured heartfelt pleas from relatives of those captured during the October 7, 2023, attack by the Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists, as was indicated in The New York Post report. Among the crowd was Yael Alexander, the mother of 20-year-old Edan Alexander, a Bergen County, New Jersey native who was taken hostage while serving in the Israeli Defense Force (IDF).
“As a mother, I can’t describe the pain of not knowing where your child is. Our hearts are broken, but we will never stop fighting for his return. The world must understand how urgent this is,” Yael Alexander said at the march, as reported by The New York Post. Her words captured the anguish and frustration of the families, who have now spent more than a year without any contact with their loved ones. Edan, who had recently graduated from Tenafly High School in New Jersey, was stationed with the IDF’s Golani Brigade 51st Division near the Gaza border when he was captured by Hamas during their cross-border assault.
The families of the hostages, including Alexander, called for immediate international action to secure the release of their children, siblings, and spouses. Alexander highlighted the lack of access provided to humanitarian organizations, who have been barred from seeing the hostages since their capture. “It’s been a year, and no humanitarian organization has been allowed to see them,” she lamented when speaking to The New York Post, demanding global recognition of the crisis. “We need a cease-fire for peace to begin and to start to heal as a nation and as people. We need action and we need it now,” she added.
Among the crowd at the Central Park rally was also Moshe Lavi, brother-in-law of Omri Miran, a father of two young daughters who remains in captivity. Lavi’s pain was palpable as he spoke to the gathered demonstrators, recounting the many efforts and meetings that have taken place in the year since Miran was taken hostage, but to no avail. “When you see me smile, know that I’m in pain,” Lavi said, according to The New York Post. His words reflected the emotional toll the ongoing uncertainty has taken on the families of the captives.
Lavi also shared the poignant message his sister, Omri’s wife, had shouted just a day earlier, expressing her heartbreak and anger at the international community for failing to secure the hostages’ release, as per the information in The New York Post report. “Forgiveness for all the hostages that we have abandoned you,” Lavi quoted his sister as saying, a sentiment that resonated deeply with the families present at the rally.
The “fence of hope,” a symbolic installation erected at the event, displayed photos of the hostages still held in Gaza, serving as both a tribute to their strength and a call for urgent action. For the families gathered in Central Park, the rally was not just about raising awareness but about demanding that world leaders and humanitarian organizations prioritize the safe return of the hostages. As The New York Post reported, the emotional pleas from the families made it clear that their fight is far from over, and they will continue to press for international intervention.
The call for a cease-fire and humanitarian access to the hostages has gained momentum, but the families are growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress. As they stand united in their determination, the Central Park rally served as a reminder of the human cost of the ongoing conflict, and the urgent need for diplomatic and humanitarian efforts to bring the hostages home.
For mothers such as Yael Alexander and sisters such as Omri Miran’s wife, the rally was both a platform for their anguish and a testament to their resilience. As they continue their fight, they hope the world will listen and act to bring an end to their long, painful wait.
