Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) is calling on New York City officials to cancel a Central Park performance at a city-sponsored event by Kehlani, a performer who has called for the destruction of Israel and Zionism.

Kehlani is set to perform in June at a Pride event sponsored by the City Parks Foundation, an independent nonprofit that receives city funding to promote arts, sports, education and other programming in city parks. But Mayor Eric Adams has disputed whether the mayor’s office has any ability to cancel the performance or withhold funds.

Kehlani has posted repeatedly on her Instagram stories calling to “DISMANTLE ISRAEL. ERADICATE ZIONISM,” and calling Zionists “the scum of the Earth.” The performer has also reposted content expressing support for “resistance in all of its forms,” describing Zionists as “evil,” saying that “no one should feel comfortable or safe until Zionism is extinguished” and characterizing all Israelis as settlers.

Other reposts have featured the slogans, “There is only one solution Intifada revolution” and “Long live Palestine, from the river to the sea.”

Torres highlighted Kehlani’s anti-Israel rhetoric in a letter to Mayor Eric Adams, City Parks Foundation Executive Director Heather Lubov and Live Nation Entertainment CEO Michael Rapino, saying, “Our public institutions have a duty to ensure that taxpayer dollars are never misspent on subsidizing or sanitizing antisemitism — especially under the banner of a Pride Event.”

He called on them to cancel the event, adding “her rhetoric flatly contradicts the spirit of Pride Month, which is and must remain a celebration of love and inclusion — not hate and exclusion.”

Torres has also traded messages with Adams about the event on X. 

Adams said that the Parks Department “does not select, contract, or pay the artists, and does not fund the City Parks Foundation at all” and that the only city funding it receives is allocated by city council members, not by the mayor or divisions under his supervision.

“Your letter should be addressed to Speaker Adams and her councilmembers who have control over their own discretionary funding,” Adams wrote. “Our administration will not fund organizations that promote antisemitism or any other form of hate.”

He noted that, as a councilmember, Torres himself allocated funding for the City Parks Foundation. 

Torres shot back, “The City Charter grants the Mayor the authority to impound city funds. You unquestionably have the power to withhold city funding from any organization or event that provides a platform for antisemitism,” adding, “I find it hard to believe that the most powerful elected official in New York City is powerless to act on a city matter involving city funds.”

The Parks Department, which falls under the mayor’s supervision, also has a contract with the City Parks Foundation to permit festival operations in Central Park.

Torres said he also planned to reach out to Capitol One, a corporate sponsor for the event.