The mayor of Paterson, Andre Sayegh, born in New Jersey to a Syrian mother and a Lebanese father, has been an active advocate for the growing Palestinian community in the city. According to reports from The Jerusalem Post, Paterson has experienced an increase in its Palestinian population, with the presence of Arab flags and signs on many of its streets.
The critical rhetoric towards Israel from organizations like the American Palestinian Community Center (PACC) and the Islamic Center of Passaic County (ICPC) has generated controversy in the city. In recent years, pro-Palestinian changes have been seen in Paterson, such as the renaming of Main Street to “Palestine Way,” support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and the declaration of the city as a Palestinian-Islamic center.
The atmosphere of tension in New Jersey has intensified due to the conflict with the terrorist group Hamas, leading to recent incidents in the region. For example, on January 26, anti-Israeli protesters vandalized the entrance of the Oheb Shalom synagogue in South Orange, in protest of a talk by an Israeli Air Force soldier, leaving graffiti with derogatory messages that drew condemnation from local authorities.
During an event marking the start of Ramadan, Sayegh declared Paterson as “the capital of Palestine in the United States” and positioned it as the “fourth holiest city in the world,” on a list where only Jerusalem, Mecca, and Medina precede it. These statements were made at the ceremony for lighting the Hilal lights and were supported by pro-Palestinian organizations such as the PACC and the ICPC.
These events reflect the growing divisions in the New Jersey community and the complexity of relationships among different ethnic and religious groups in the region.