Mayor Bhalla - 

As residents of Hoboken, we write to ask you to resign immediately. On Monday, November 25th, 2024, you proudly raised the flag of Palestine in Town Hall. While your actions may have been well intentioned, you stood tall with people who have openly justified the October 7th terrorist attack on Israeli and American civilians attending a music festival and sleeping in their homes.

The Palestinian terrorists you honored committed rape, torture, mutilation, putting babies in ovens and hostage taking of thousands of innocent civilians, many of which who were Americans, and several who were New Jersey residents. In fact, over 100 hostages, including New Jersey resident, Edan Alexander, remain in Palestinian Territory as hostages - these are the actions and policies of people whose flag you proudly raised.

You raised the flag of a territory in which the majority of citizens voted into power Hamas - a terrorist organization whose sworn goal is the death of all Jews and Americans all over the world. This is not about co-existence or land for peace or settlements – there were no Israelis in Gaza, no settlements impinging on land claimed by Hamas or other Gazans. You raised the flag of people whose business is butchery. Steps away from the World Trade Center, you amplified the voices of those that routinely chant death to America and hand out candy in celebration of American lives being taken.

In response to the public outcry, you justified these actions by indicating that it would be discriminatory not to raise the flag, in recognition of the contributions made by Palestinians to our society. This could not be further from the truth. After September 11th, we would not have dared to raise the flag of Pakistan, where al-Qaeda predominantly functioned. In fact, we well remember the people of Gaza, including Hamas and others, dancing joyously in the streets and burning American flags in response to al-Qaeda’s attack just across the river, just as Palestinians did after October 7th. Today raising the flag of Iran or North Korea could not be justified by contributions made from residents of those countries, despite the fact that residents from such countries have contributed to our society. Your job as the Mayor is to weigh the public interests and to lead - in this, you failed miserably.

Your actions have dire consequences. By standing with those who have openly, on social media, praised the mass torture, rape, killing and kidnapping of innocents, you are indicating support of such. You have left all residents of Hoboken, not just Jewish residents, fearful. How can we feel safe with a mayor whose moral compass directs him to honor those murderers? You also justified your actions by stating that you stood with the Jewish community after the October 7th terrorist attack. Mayor - actions speak louder than words. Standing with the Jewish community after the October 7th terrorist attack does not make you a hero - it is something any reasonable person would do after such brutal terror, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or creed.

The fact that you choose November 25th - the International Day For the Elimination of Violence Against Women to show support for a territory that voted into power a terrorist organization that committed mass rape of women is vile. You have been the Mayor of Hoboken since 2017 - why did you choose to raise the flag now, in 2024, a little over 1 year after the ruling party of Palestine committed such horrendous acts on innocents? The message you have sent to your community is that terror is justified and rewarded.

The citizens of Hoboken know right from wrong and reject your embracing a group that not only want Americans dead but have demonstrated their ability to bring their terror to our homes.

If you want to show support for the Jewish Community and residents of Hoboken at large - do the right thing - RESIGN NOW!