An Adams administration staffer whose mission includes fostering “unity” and bridging “cultural divides,” is under fire for ripping down an Israeli hostage poster — and then allegedly assaulting an outraged eyewitness, The Post has learned.
Nallah Sutherland, a special event coordinator for the Mayor’s Office of Special Projects and Community Events, was spotted earlier this month tearing down the poster from an Upper East Side light pole, ripping it up and dumping it in a trash bin, according to video posted online by the nonprofit StopAntisemetism.
“It’s an appalling act of antisemitism,” said the nonprofit’s founder Liora Rez, who demanded Adams immediately fire Sutherland.
But Sutherland, 25, only got a slap on the wrist by her bosses — who merely required her to take “multicultural training” and added a disciplinary note to her permanent work file, a City Hall source told The Post.
“Is there a reason you’re taking those down?” asks an eyewitness about the poster, part of a public art campaign to raise awareness of Israeli and American hostages taken captive by Hamas during its Oct. 7, 2023 terror attack on the Jewish state.
“Those were hostages. They were taken by terrorists,” adds the eyewitness, according to the 20-second clip he recorded.
Sutherland then walks toward the man and swipes his phone with her right hand, briefly knocking it out of focus, the video shows.
“That’s assault actually. You know that, right?” the man responds to Sutherland, who smirks and walks away, the video shows.
Sutherland began working for Adams – a staunch Israel supporter – in 2023. She earns $61,135-a-year helping plan celebrations he hosts at Gracie Mansion and at other sites to honor the diverse city’s many ethnic groups, records show.
She’s part of a team whose job is to “bridge cultural divides … and support key city initiatives that help provide a source of strength, unity, and resilience to New Yorkers across all communities within the five boroughs and beyond,” according to her office’s website.
In May, the office organized a Jewish heritage celebration hosted by Adams at Gracie Mansion. The guest speakers included Shoshan Haran, who along with her daughter and two grandchildren, were taken hostage by Hamas and released 50 days later.
“It’s extremely hypocritical that someone who supports the murder of anyone still has a job, much less in a department that plays a vital role in our city’s diversity efforts — despite the fact that she cannot tolerate innocent Jews who were kidnapped by Hamas,” said Councilwoman Inna Vernikov (R-Brooklyn) after being told about Sutherland’s action.
“Decisive action must be taken to purge this disgusting pro-jihadist sentiment from” city government “once and for all,” added Vernikov, who is Jewish.
The eyewitness, who is Jewish and didn’t report the incident to authorities, wants to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution considering antisemitism cases are soaring statewide.
“It’s a sad state of affairs when the victim doesn’t have trust in the NYPD or” soft-on-crime Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg “to properly investigate” hate crimes,” said Rez. “There’s no trust in the authorities to keep the victim safe.”
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