Kalman Yeger Ousted From Committee For Palestine Tweet: Reports

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK -- Brooklyn city councilman Kalman Yeger lost his immigration committee assignment after tweeting "Palestine doesn't exist" and sparking protests in his community, according to reports.

The 51-member committee decided Monday to remove Yeger, a Democrat who represents District 44, during a closed meeting on Monday, according to Politico and the New York Times.

Yeger responded on Twitter, blaming "political correctness" for his removal and clarifying his controversial position on Palestine.

"I respect the Speaker's right to run the Council as he sees fit," Yeger tweeted in response. "It's unfortunate that political correctness takes precedence over objective fact. Of course, there are Palestinians. However, the fact remains there is no Palestinian state."

As of August 2018, 137 United Nations members have recognized the existence of Palestine.

Yeger posted the controversial Tweet that triggered his removal on Wednesday, during an online discussion with Bklyner reporter Zainab Iqbal.

"Palestine does not exist," wrote Yeger, after Iqbal retweeted his anti-Semitism accusations against Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan Omar for her recent comments about the Israel lobby's influence on American policymakers.

"Congresswoman Omar is an antisemite [sic]. Thanks for following me."

Yeger has since been chastised by Mayor Bill de Blasio, City Council speaker Corey Johnson and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. And his tweets spurred a large protest outside his Borough Park offices last Thursday.