NYC pol rips Jewish activist over photo op with anti-Israel mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani: ‘Don't even bother calling' for funding
Brooklyn Republican and staunch Zionist Inna Vernikov made the vow Tuesday regarding her share of council members' annual discretionary funds – which this fiscal year total $810,000 – in response to video posted on X of Jewish activist Mark Meyer Appel shaking hands with the pro-Palestine Mamdani.
'I know it may not be much, but just a small PSA [Public Service Announcement] for the orgs who will be seeking discretionary funding from me for the next four years: In my discretion, I will NOT fund organizations whose leadership supports Hamas sympathizers and October 7th apologists,' Vernikov said on X.
4 NYC Councilwoman Inna Vernikov issued a stern declaration to nonprofits who support socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani or anyone else she believes is 'sympathetic' to Hamas terrorists – no political pork for you.
Stephen Yang
'So if you want to be like @MarkMeyerAppel, and support or do photo ops with @Zohran Mamdani, don't even bother calling,' she added, accusing Appel of 'commie/jihadi a– kissing.'
And she doubled down Friday, telling The Post 'If someone allows themselves to be in a photo with Mamdani, they're either supporting him or pandering to him.'
'Either way, I will defund them,' she said.
4 Vernikov's post on X ripped Jewish activist Mark Meyer Appel (left) for shaking hands with NYC mayoral candidate and staunch Israel critic Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday during a Brooklyn event.
Inna Vernikov/ X
Some Democratic Council sources contended Vernikov's remarks were over the top.
'How can you make a blanket statement that you're not giving a group money but because someone appears in a photo op?' a source said.
Council Minority Leader Joann Ariola (R-Queens) wouldn't comment on Vernikov's rhetoric but said nonprofits should be apolitical.
'They should be focused on their goals of helping New York, not on illegal performative activism,' she said.
4 Vernikov doubled down on her remarks Friday, telling The Post, 'If someone allows themselves to be in a photo with Mamdani, they're either supporting him or pandering to him. Either way, I will defund them.'
Stephen Yang
4 Mamdani (pictured, shaking the hand of a supporter) went to the Flatbush Gardens Community Center Tuesday to talk about ways he'll look to boost affordable housing if he's elected NYC mayor.
Gregory P. Mango
Appel's Flatbush-based group, The Bridge Multicultural and Advocacy Project, scored $60,000 in political pork from the Council in this fiscal year's budget, but none from Vernikov, records show.
Messages left with Appel were not returned.
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