New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani released a video and statement marking Nakba Day, which commemorates the displacement of Palestinians during the creation of Israel. The video features an interview with Inia Bushnak, a New York resident who identifies as a survivor of the Nakba, recounting her family’s flight from Jerusalem amid fears of advancing Zionist forces.

The video explains that the term “Nakba,” meaning “catastrophe” in Arabic, refers to the expulsion and displacement of more than 700,000 Palestinians between 1947 and 1949 during the establishment of Israel. It also states that armed groups such as Haganah, Irgun, and Lehi destroyed over 400 Palestinian villages and towns, committing mass killings. Nakba Day is observed annually on May 15, and the video asserts that the Palestinian displacement continues today.

Mamdani released the video during anti-Zionist rallies in Manhattan and declined to participate in the upcoming “Israel Day on Fifth” parade organized by the Jewish community later this month.