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NYC Councilmember: ‘Palestine Does Not Exist’

[additional-authors]
March 27, 2019
Screenshot from Twitter.

New York City (NYC) Councilman Kalman Yeger created some controversy on March 27 when he tweeted that “Palestine does not exist.”

It started when Yeger, a Jewish Democrat, tweeted in response: to Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-Minn.) Twitter thread criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahy for singling her out in his AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) Policy Conference speech.

A Twitter user responded to Yeger by pointing out that the councilman has previously said that “Palestine does not exist” and has used the term “so-called Palestinians.” Yeger tweeted in response, “Palestine does not exist. There, I said it again. Also, Congresswoman Omar is an anti-Semite. Said that too. Thanks for following me.”

Yeger’s tweet drew rebukes from Women’s March, Inc. co-leader Linda Sarsour and NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Former Democratic New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind defended Yeger:

According to Jewish Virtual Library, the term “Palestine” originated from the Philistines, who were ancestors of the Greeks. Palestine was loosely used to refer to southern Syria under the Ottoman Empire; after the empire fell, the word “Palestine” was used to refer to the land that eventually became Israel and Jordan. Today, Judea and Samaria and Gaza are referred to as the Palestinian territories, however an official state called “Palestine” has never been established.

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