Donna Deegan, the mayor of Jacksonville, Fla., shared a post on social media about her appearance at the Ramallah American Club, a Palestinian cultural center, where she is seen speaking from a podium draped with a black-and-white keffiyeh. She shared the photos on Jan. 27, International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Jeremy Redfern, a spokesman for Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, shared a photo from the event, saying, “Today, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan spoke next to a Palestinian flag and behind a keffiyeh commonly worn by and associated with Hamas terrorists.”
In response, Lisa Katz, chief government affairs officer at the Combat Antisemitism Movement, said, “whether or not the timing of the event was intentional, the date mattered. Standing in front of highly charged political symbols on this day was profoundly tone-deaf at best and intentionally provocative at worst.”
Katz added that it “predictably landed as hurtful to Jacksonville Jews already on edge over rising antisemitic threats.”
“The Jewish community, and all Jacksonvillians who believe in the ‘Never Again’ vow, deserve far better from their elected leaders,” she said.
The Jewish Federation and Foundation of Northeast Florida stated that it was “deeply saddened and disheartened” by Deegan.
“While we believe our mayor should speak to and engage with every community, posting a photo of herself with a keffiyeh and Palestinian flag on Holocaust Remembrance Day was insensitive and tone-deaf,” the organization wrote.
“This incident is yet another example of the disregard toward the concerns and sensitivities of the Jewish community,” the Federation said. “Once again, her insensitivity to her Jewish constituents must be called out.”
The Florida Republican Party also condemned Deegan’s appearance, stating, “Another disturbing and antisemitic move from Mayor Donna Deegan. On Holocaust Remembrance Day, she appeared onstage beside a Palestinian flag and under a keffiyeh, commonly worn by Hamas terrorists—and completely failed to honor Holocaust victims.”
Deegan, who released a statement in October 2023 condemning the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, defended her appearance, without mentioning the keffiyeh.
“Anyone from Jacksonville knows the Ramallah Club is a Palestinian civic organization that was founded by Christians from Ramallah and that has been contributing to our city for more than a century,” she said.
“I was proud to be joined on the dais by Councilman Ron Salem, a longtime member of the club, and was pleased to see Congressman John Rutherford there as well to celebrate the club’s impact on Saturday,” the mayor added. “It’s disappointing to see partisan actors use people’s rich heritage to divide our community.”
Adam Mossoff, a law professor at George Mason University, explained that the black-and-white keffiyeh that was draped on the podium “was popularized by Yasser Arafat and other PLO terrorists who murdered Jews, continuing genocidal war started by Arabs in 1948.”
“It is beyond offensive for Democrat Mayor Donna Deegan to promote it on Holocaust Remembrance Day. She knows what she’s doing,” he added.
