Antisemitic messaging sparks outrage over OneLIC neighborhood plan opposition

A rendering of the proposed OneLIC neighborhood plan overlaid with “Stop Antisemitism” artwork, highlighting community backlash to antisemitic messaging that surfaced during opposition to the rezoning proposal.
Illustration via DCP and Getty Images

June 10, 2025 By Shane O’Brien

Several elected officials and community members have condemned a text blast circulated ahead of last month’s OneLIC neighborhood plan hearing, calling it antisemitic for describing the proposal as “Zionist capital at work.”

The text blast, which was distributed in advance of a joint Community Board 1 and 2 hearing at LaGuardia Community College on May 21, described developer TF Cornerstone as “Queens’ biggest Zionist pro-Israel real estate engine.”

The troublesome message also alleged that TF Cornerstone is “behind” the OneLIC plan and directly named several members of the Elghanayan family, who founded the real estate company. The text blast and an accompanying PowerPoint presentation for a virtual “teach-in” on the issue alleged that the Elghanayan family has close ties to “Zionist institutions.”

The anti-Israel Powerpoint presentation, which was allegedly delivered on May 28 at the virtual teach-in, also outlined its goals to expose the “material power of Zionism through real estate” and “use the Elghanayan family and LIC rezoning as a case study for Queens” by alleging that real estate dynasties such as TF Cornerstone “shape urban planning behind closed doors.”

The hateful presentation further accused the Elghanayan family of “tying anti-pro-tenant initiatives and Zionism” together.

Elected officials strongly opposed the text blast and presentation, stating that TF Cornerstone has nothing to do with the OneLIC plan. Officials also described efforts to link OneLIC to Zionism as a cynical attempt to draw opposition to the neighborhood plan from the unrelated pro-Palestine movement.

Several local residents accused individuals connected to the Western Queens Community Land Trust (WQCLT), a non-profit leading the opposition against the neighborhood plan, of distributing the text blast.

WQCLT categorically denied any link to the text blast, stating that the group does not communicate through text blasts. There is also no apparent evidence that WQCLT was behind it.

Residents at the recent hearing expressed both support and opposition to the OneLIC neighborhood plan. Photo: Shane O’Brien.

The organization further stated that anyone linking the group to the text blast was “perpetuating misinformation.” WQCLT also shared the group’s official messaging ahead of the May 21 hearing, which outlines the group’s opposition to the plan. The group claims that the plan represents a “luxury upzoning,” arguing that it would ultimately make Long Island City more expensive. The advisory contains no reference to Israel.

However, several residents pointed out that the accompanying PowerPoint presentation contained a document bearing the name Grace Chung, a member of WQCLT’s steering committee. Queens Post has seen the presentation.

Chung has not yet replied to a request for comment. WQCLT, meanwhile, said the organization was not aware of the presentation.

The text blast, distributed through a Signal group chat prior to the joint community board hearing, has ignited elected officials and local residents, who described the content of the text blast as antisemitic and “alarming.”

Council Member Julie Won, who represents the area included in the OneLIC plan, described the text blast as “shameful.” Won said she has publicly supported a ceasefire in Gaza and is “heartbroken” over the state of the conflict but said it is “insulting” to exploit the pro-Palestinian movement in order to bolster opposition for the OneLIC plan. She also called the text blast antisemitic, emphasizing that weaponizing global conflicts to stoke division within the community is unacceptable.

“It’s extremely alarming to me that someone would go so low to co-opt a movement of free Palestine for their own purpose – to incite anger and potentially violence,” Won said. “People know that there’s a lot of organizing going on, and it’s easy to get folks out on that issue (pro-Palestine).

Council Member Julie Won Photo Credit: Emil Cohen/NYC Council Media Unit

“It’s shameful to compare Long Island City to Gaza – where people are literally losing their lives, land and starving to death – to this rezoning and blaming it on a local Jewish landlord who isn’t even part of the rezoning,” she continued.

A spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams issued an equally strong statement against the text blast, describing the messaging as a “not-so-subtle antisemitic dog whistle.”

“Let’s call this what it is: a not–so–subtle antisemitic dog whistle from NIMBYs trying to do away with what will be tens of thousands of homes and jobs in Long Island City. It is despicable, and the people responsible should be ashamed of themselves,” a City Hall spokesperson said in a statement.

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards spokesperson Chris Barca said the text blast contained “misguided comments designed to divide” and said such messaging “does nothing” to help address the city’s housing crisis. Barca said Richards will be reviewing the OneLIC plan “on its own merits” when the plan comes before his office later this month as part of the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP).

“Borough President Richards condemns the nonsensical language used in the mailing in question, believes in building a borough where all residents can live in harmony — regardless of religion or nationality — and looks forward to evaluating the OneLIC plan on its merits when it comes before his office for review in the weeks ahead,” Barca said.

A number of local Jewish residents also raised concerns about the language used in the text blast, stating that the messaging is particularly concerning in the aftermath of antisemitic attacks in Washington D.C. and Denver recently.

Jane Menton, a Jewish resident in Sunnyside, said she was “horrified” by the content of the text blast, stating that she believes there has been a “radicalization” against the Jewish community since the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.

She added that the text blast felt like a “targeted attack” against the Elghanayan family that serves to “direct hate” toward certain individuals.

“We’ve seen so much of that radicalized hate become violent in the last couple of months, and so it (the text blast) is very scary,” Menton said.

Menton contended that everyone has a right to criticize the Israeli government, noting that she knows several members of the Jewish community who disagree with Israel’s actions in Palestine. However, she said the line between anti-Zionism and antisemitism is “so faint,” stating that the text blast specifically calls out a Jewish family for their beliefs.

“There’s been this allowance for antisemitism to flourish because there’s a war going on and there’s so much that people are very emotional about,” Menton said.

The Jewish Community Center – Chabad of West Queens located at 10-29 48th Ave, Long Island City. Via Google Maps

According to the UJA, Western/Central Queens is home to over 21,000 Jewish adults and 5,000 Jewish children in about 14,000 households.

Lauren Baker, another Jewish resident in the area, said she is also concerned by the contents of the text blast, stating that antisemitic rhetoric has been “boiling over into action” recently.

“The text blast is a suggestion of how it [antisemitism] has already been normalized, at least in the rhetoric level. And the next step is the normalization of action,” Baker said.

Menton, meanwhile, suggested opening a dialogue between the individuals behind the text blast and the local Jewish community so that Jewish residents can outline why they find the messaging so disturbing. She said local Jewish residents have felt “directly attacked” by the messages and added that some are now questioning whether the neighborhood is a safe space for them.

“They need to know they’re making people feel that way,” Menton said. “I think the best way to do that would be for them to hear it. Let’s sit down, let’s talk. Maybe we could come to a better place if we did that.”

Baker said a conversation would be helpful but said the text blast has “already unlocked the genie.” She suggested that whoever sent the original blast should issue an “apology blast” to the same group of people.

A spokesperson for TF Cornerstone issued a forceful response Wednesday, stating: “We are outraged by the distribution of a vile, antisemitic message targeting our family and our company. This hateful rhetoric is dangerous, ignorant, and echoes the same antisemitism that has led to horrific tragedies throughout history. We will not be intimidated, and we will not stay silent. Our community knows the cost of hate, and we stand united in rejecting it. There is no place for antisemitism here, now, or ever. Also, TF Cornerstone has no affiliation with the OneLIC Neighborhood Plan. Whomever created these antisemitic texts should have done their homework.”

Editor’s note: This article was updated on June 11, 2025, to include a statement from a spokesperson for TF Cornerstone, who condemned the antisemitic text blast and clarified that the company has no affiliation with the OneLIC Neighborhood Plan.