Many New Yorkers are expressing their anger over Central Park’s upcoming summer concert series that features an anti-Israel singer, happening just a week after Cornell University dropped her from a show. It seems to strike a nerve.
The singer, Kelani, stirred controversy last spring when she posted a music video that opened with the phrase “Long Live the Intifada,” a sentiment many view as promoting violence against the Jewish community.
The City Parks Foundation, which is funded by taxpayer money, has invited her to perform in June as part of a concert series purportedly celebrating “Pride with Kerani.”
Richie Torres, a Democratic leader from the Bronx, voiced his frustration on social media, stating that “America’s biggest cities don’t subsidize or sanitize anti-Semitism at taxpayer costs.”
The announcement has also prompted significant backlash from the Jewish community. Some have pointed out that individuals who label Jews as “a fierce scum of the earth” and advocate for their annihilation shouldn’t be performing in the heart of New York City, which has the largest Jewish population outside of Israel.
As for the Parks Department, they haven’t responded yet to requests for comments regarding this situation.
