Palestinian Flag-Raising In Hoboken Draws Ire From Mayor-Elect Jabbour

HOBOKEN, NJ — Hoboken's next mayor has blasted the current city administration for raising the Palestinian flag in front of City Hall without input from other officials.

[UPDATE: Palestinian Flag Removed In Hoboken, Day After Controversy]

As the conflict in Gaza continues, a number of events related to Israel and Palestine have raised controversy around the region.

As Mayor Ravi Bhalla finishes his last full month in office, Mayor-Elect Emily Jabbour blasted his decision to raise the flag on Tuesday.

"Today, we are seeing first-hand the repercussions of decisions made without a larger community conversation, and without any engagement with myself or my council colleagues," Jabbour said in a social media post on Tuesday afternoon. (See the post below.)

Local resident Audrey Truschke said in response, "The Palestinian flag raising was organized by an informal group of Hoboken residents from diverse backgrounds. City Hall selected the date.

"Mayor-elect Jabbour's arm-jerk reaction against a basic show of solidarity with a beleaguered people shows that she is out of touch with her constituents, who requested this flag raising. It also suggests that she lacks empathy. I hope she displays better judgment as mayor than she has as mayor-elect in this situation."

She added, "I hope that everyone who believes that people have inherent dignity agrees that every day is a good day to show solidarity with the Palestinian people and their ongoing struggle."

A spokeswoman for the Bhalla administration said Tuesday, "The city has many cultural flag-raisings throughout the year to honor Hoboken’s diverse communities. In Hoboken we pride ourselves on treating everyone equally and with respect, including our Palestinian sisters and brothers.

"The date of today's flag raising was scheduled without awareness of its historical association with the First Intifada. This was a scheduling oversight and no political message was intended. Today’s flag raising is a continuation of Hoboken’s proud tradition of celebrating diversity and inclusion, and recognizing the common humanity in all of our neighbors."

The flag was also raised in a City Hall ceremony in November 2024, drawing some controversy. And an Israel flag outside City Hall was stolen three times last year.

Unicef has said that more than 50,000 children have reportedly been killed or injured during the course of the conflict.

Jabbour's social media post is below.

[UPDATE: Palestinian Flag Removed In Hoboken, Day After Controversy]