{"id":217873,"date":"2026-05-02T20:28:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T20:28:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/217873\/"},"modified":"2026-05-02T20:28:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T20:28:14","slug":"mamdani-staffer-wears-keffiyeh-in-official-city-video-at-gracie-mansion-in-nyc-as-jewish-leaders-call-it-a-direct-act-of-hate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/217873\/","title":{"rendered":"Mamdani staffer wears keffiyeh in official city video at Gracie Mansion in NYC as Jewish leaders call it ‘a direct act of hate’"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Mamdani Administration staffer who prominently wore a keffiyeh in a slick video urging New Yorkers to go to the Rent Guidelines Board<\/a>, may have been sending a message with his symbolic attire, insiders told The Post.<\/p>\n

Mohamed Alharbi, the deputy borough director for Queens in the mayor\u2019s Office of Mass Engagement, has not been spotted wearing a keffiyeh in public photos, interviews and videos, observers note.<\/p>\n

Colleagues were also surprised to see him in a keffiyeh, which many Jews equate with the Palestinian terror group Hamas.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never seen him wear a keffiyeh at work,\u201d a City Hall staffer told The Post.<\/p>\n

\"MohammedMohammed Alharbi is not known to wear a keffiyeh. NYC Mayor’s Office\/YouTube<\/p>\n

In a March podcast<\/a>, the 28-year-old SUNY New Paltz grad who has described himself as an Arabic-speaking Muslim, is seen wearing a black blazer and crisp white shirt, sans keffiyeh.<\/p>\n

Among the \u201cmain qualities\u201d he said he looks for in backing a political candidate is: \u201cAre you openly pro-Palestinian?\u201d<\/p>\n

In the video, released Wednesday, Alharbi, whose family hails from Yemen<\/a>, is seen climbing the steps of Gracie Mansion with a black and white keffiyeh draped around his neck. A mezuzah is affixed to the doorpost to his right, with upbeat music playing in the background.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey knew what they were doing and exactly the message they wanted to send. In the city with the largest Jewish community, how can someone not see this as a direct act of hate toward the Jewish community?\u201d asserted Moshe Spern, president of United Jewish Teachers.<\/p>\n

Jewish activists are outraged over the messaging.<\/p>\n

\"MohammedMohammed Alharbi\u2019s wearing of the keffiyeh in the video sparked criticism. NRI Affairs\/YouTube<\/p>\n

\u201cThe placement of a keffiyeh is not mere coincidence and its growing visibility in activist and progressive circles is more than a fashion statement. It is a symbol aligned with ideological positions that seek to destroy Western civilization,\u201d said Jayne Zirkle of The Lawfare Project, a human rights group.<\/p>\n

Former Democratic state Assemblyman Dov Hikind called the video \u201ccarefully orchestrated.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all intentionally divisive and hateful. This man is representing the administration,\u201d Hikind said, noting that selectively donning a keffiyeh is different from strictly wearing a yarmulke. \u201cIf someone came to my door with a keffiyeh, I\u2019d immediately be nervous.\u201d<\/p>\n

Neither Alharbi nor the mayor returned requests for comment. <\/p>\n

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