The city of Hoboken, New Jersey, found itself at the center of public controversy on Tuesday after a Palestinian flag was raised outside City Hall at the direction of Mayor Ravi Bhalla, on a date marking exactly 38 years since the outbreak of the First Intifada. The flag was raised without coordination with other local leaders and drew condemnation from incoming Mayor Emily Jabbour, who is set to replace Bhalla, as well as City Council member Phil Cohen and others. Hoboken is known for its significant Jewish and Israeli communities.
Outgoing Mayor Bhalla issued an official statement later in the day, clarifying that the initiative was undertaken at the request of residents of Palestinian descent and that it reflects a longstanding tradition in the city. "I want to be clear that the act of raising this flag is not, in any way, shape or form, intended as a political statement by the City of Hoboken," he wrote. "Celebrating diversity is a part of Hoboken's character." Bhalla emphasized that no one at city hall noticed the sensitive date on which the event was scheduled and that the flag was removed immediately after the matter was brought to his attention. "I want to state unequivocally that this association was not known when the scheduling was approved."
According to reports, the flag was raised in the morning hours and removed later in the day after the city hall received concerned inquiries from residents and community activists. Jabbour, who was elected mayor and will assume office next year, wrote on social media that the decision was made without public discourse. "An official flag raising outside City Hall should be a message of welcome and celebration," she wrote. "However, today we see the consequences of decisions made without broad community dialogue and without any involvement from my council colleagues."
#Hoboken pic.twitter.com/lyj20zUxIH
— Tiffanie Fisher, Councilwoman (@Tiffanie_Fisher) December 9, 2025
She further emphasized that the fact that the flag was raised on the day marking the outbreak of the First Intifada is "insensitive" and pledged to reexamine the city's flag-raising policy in the future.
Jewish City Council member Phil Cohen also addressed the incident. He emphasized that "neither I nor any of my council colleagues were updated about the decision" and noted that "December 9 is the anniversary of the First Intifada, something that would have been revealed had there been more transparency or dialogue with community leaders." According to him, "Had they asked me, I would have urged the mayor not to raise the flag today, especially when the Israeli flag was not raised at city hall this year." Cohen added that he spoke with Mayor-elect Jabbour, and they both agreed there is a need "to rethink flag-raising ceremonies and cultural events, in a transparent and unifying manner for all parts of the community."
Roy Feuerstein, a Hoboken resident, described a large, cohesive, and growing Israeli and Jewish community in the city. According to him, "There is currently an estimate of approximately 400 Israeli families" and he describes entire areas in the city where dozens of families are concentrated. "We live in an area called 'the kibbutz,' we're talking about roughly fifty Israeli families." Feuerstein emphasized that there is extensive community activity such as children's groups, Independence Day events with participation of more than a thousand people, and a close connection that has strengthened since October 7 between Israelis and the local Jewish community. "A kind of connection was created, there is a joint WhatsApp group of Jews and Israelis, and the community is very mobilized."
Regarding the flag incident, Feuerstein recounted that "someone posted a picture that suddenly a Palestinian flag was placed at the City Hall building" without advance notice, which sparked "a flood in all the Israeli groups." He describes a massive outreach from residents to city hall, and after a few hours "suddenly someone announced that the flag came down."
Feuerstein described the community's response as unequivocal. "There was relief because we managed within two to three hours to reverse such a thing." According to him, the incident reflects not local hatred toward Israelis but politics. "This is purely about a mayor thinking about his political career... he finishes this month and moves to be in the county representative in New Jersey, and is trying to court the Arab vote." Roi emphasizes that despite the event, Hoboken is still "a place where the Israeli community is very established, the environment is very supportive" and that it is "a very nice place to live."
Nevertheless, this move continues a series of controversies surrounding flags in the city. In November 2024, a ceremony of raising the PLO flag sparked public debate, and an Israeli flag raised at city hall about two months after October 7 was stolen three times, according to reports in local media.
Ahead of the change of administration at city hall, Jabbour promises to formulate a transparent and clear policy that will prevent recurrence of such incidents and allow Hoboken residents to celebrate their heritage without harming other communities.
