A New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene employee is facing intense backlash after old X posts containing extreme anti-Israel and antisemitic statements were uncovered by a watchdog group.
Achmat Akkad, a community coordinator employed by the department since 2017 with an annual salary of approximately $65,000, allegedly posted inflammatory remarks that have been widely condemned. In one resurfaced post from about a year ago, Akkad wrote: “1 Israeli left in this world would be one too many!” Another now-deleted post from November 10, 2021, stated: “Jews that don’t support apartheid are safe. Zionists aren’t!”
Additional statements attributed to him claimed Israel exists by “sacrificing the blood of Black and brown people as an offering to white supremacy” and accused Zionists of orchestrating global far-right movements and wars.
The posts were highlighted with screenshots by Canary Mission, an organization that documents individuals it accuses of antisemitism and anti-Israel activism. Following the exposure, Akkad’s X account was suspended. When reached by media, Akkad confirmed his employment and that he had operated the account but declined further comment.
The NYC Health Department and the office of Mayor Zohran Mamdani declined to comment on the matter. No information has been released regarding any internal investigation or potential disciplinary action.
The revelations have triggered widespread outrage on social media, with many users labeling the statements as overtly antisemitic and questioning how someone with such views could hold a public health position. A smaller number of voices defended the posts as protected political speech or legitimate criticism of Israeli policy.
The incident comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the Health Department under Mayor Mamdani, including reports of internal affinity groups framing discussions around “global oppression” with strong anti-Israel themes.