AI-written summary of reporting by New York Post. No human editor reviewed this. AI can misread or omit facts — read the original, linked below.
ABSTRACT

A cover story published Monday by New York Magazine, titled 'Habibi City' and focused on Arab and Muslim communities in New York City, has drawn criticism from Jewish groups, subscribers, and people connected to the production of the piece, who say it framed Zionism alongside forms of discrimination, omitted reference to the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages, and excluded Jewish communities with roots in Arab countries from its depiction of the region's culture.

New York Post

New York Magazine 'Habibi City' cover story draws criticism over Israel-Gaza framing and Jewish representation

Aug 12, 2026, 1:07 PM

A cover story published Monday by New York Magazine, titled 'Habibi City' and focused on Arab and Muslim communities in New York City, has drawn criticism from Jewish groups, subscribers, and people connected to the production of the piece, who say it framed Zionism alongside forms of discrimination, omitted reference to the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages, and excluded Jewish communities with roots in Arab countries from its depiction of the region's culture.

Context

The 31-page, six-part package described a cultural community it called SWANA — Southwest Asia and North Africa — New Yorkers whose shared identity was, according to the magazine, 'born out of the pain of the genocide in Gaza' and 'the resistance and protests in the months following October 7.'

The main article listed challenges faced by SWANA New Yorkers, including 'xenophobia, Islamophobia, and Zionism,' a framing that drew specific objection from Jewish organizations and advocates who said equating Zionism with forms of identity-based hatred misrepresents its meaning to Jewish people.

The package also included a food section covering Middle Eastern restaurants. A reference to restaurant Ayat, which the magazine described as serving Palestinian cuisine, noted a menu featuring what the magazine described as a 'cheerful, tourist-style map in which the land mass currently called Israel is titled Discover Palestine.'

A consultant who said they were involved in the production of the food article told the New York Post the piece was 'a hit piece on Jewish and Israeli chefs cloaked in middle eastern cuisine and food and culture,' and described the fact-checking process as 'super shady.'

Journalist Jordana Horn, who said she has previously written for New York Magazine, stated she canceled her subscription and sent a message to the publication saying it was 'deliberately stoking the flames of anti-Jewish sentiment in this city.'

Former New York Magazine contributor Eve Barlow said the outlet 'fired' her in 2020 following what she described as her public stance against antisemitism, and that staff writers and editors unfollowed her on social media in a coordinated manner. She said the publication had previously praised her work and then stopped communicating with her.

Some critics also alleged that the cover story used a typeface associated with early twentieth-century German printing, raising questions about editorial intent, though the article did not provide independent verification of this claim.

New York Magazine has reduced its print publication schedule over the years, cutting frequency more than a decade ago. The New York Post said it sought comment from New York Magazine but did not report receiving a response.

All Perspectives
New York Magazine (via published text): The magazine described the SWANA community as 'bound together by shared values' and said the cultural ecosystem was 'born out of the pain of the genocide in Gaza' and 'the resistance and protests in the months following October 7.' It characterized SWANA New Yorkers as facing 'xenophobia, Islamophobia, and Zionism — along with the repercussions of speaking out against them,' and described them as 'living under the threat of annihilation.'
Journalist Jordana Horn: Horn said she canceled her subscription and wrote to the magazine: 'You're deliberately stoking the flames of anti-Jewish sentiment in this city and I'm not going to help pay for it.' She added that she was 'not going to pay for a subscription to a magazine I've long loved — and written for — that actively seeks to negate Jewish history and identity.'
AIPAC: The pro-Israel lobbying group stated that 'treating Zionism as though it belongs in a list of identity-based hatreds erases what it actually means to millions of Jews: the belief that Jews, like other peoples, have a right to national self-determination and safety.'
End Jew Hatred: The Jewish civil rights group said the package was 'dangerous' and accused the magazine of 'increasingly defining belonging around their prescribed position on Gaza, effectively pushing Mizrahi Jews, whose families lived across the Middle East and North Africa for generations, out of their own regional identity.' The group also said the magazine failed 'to mention the massacre of Jews that actually happened that day and the ongoing threats from Hamas, the regime of Iran, and its terror proxies,' and concluded: 'Jewish identity is not theirs to erase, and Jewish history will not be rewritten to fit a political narrative.'
Abraham Hamra, immigration lawyer and Syrian-Jewish advocate: Hamra told the New York Post: 'For a publication that prides itself on diversity and social justice, erasing more than 120,000 New York Jews whose families come from Arabized countries isn't an oversight; it's exclusion dressed up as inclusion. As a Syrian Jew, I know what cultural erasure looks like, and it's particularly insulting to watch it repackaged as progress.'
Pro-Israel activist Yardenne Greenspan: Greenspan criticized the magazine for deciding 'they get to define who really counts as Middle Eastern.'
Anonymous consultant involved in the food article: The insider told the New York Post that the piece was 'a hit piece on Jewish and Israeli chefs cloaked in middle eastern cuisine and food and culture,' and described the fact-checking process as 'super shady.'
Eve Barlow, former New York Magazine contributor: Barlow said the outlet 'fired' her in 2020 after she became vocal about Jewish hate, and that staff ghosted her: 'They never had complained about any of my work up until that point. In fact, they rained nothing but praise on me.' She said she had 'a great working relationship with them, and they ghosted me,' and described the current controversy as 'a long time coming.'
Tablet Magazine: The publication described the issue as 'antisemitic, absurd' and said the food section read like a 'loaded intifooda.' It summarized the edition as implying: 'If you don't think Israel committed genocide, you're not from the Middle East.'
Position not represented in the source reporting: New York Magazine.
Gaps & Unknowns
  • New York Magazine did not respond to the New York Post's request for comment, so the publication's editorial rationale, editorial process, and response to specific allegations are absent.
  • The claim that more than half of hate crimes in New York City under Mayor Zohran Mamdani target Jewish New Yorkers is cited without a source in the article.
  • The assertion that the cover used a 'Nazi-adjacent Fraktur font' is stated by critics but not independently verified in the source text.
  • The source does not establish the total current circulation or subscriber numbers for New York Magazine.
  • The basis for the figure of 'more than 120,000 New York Jews whose families come from Arabized countries' is not identified.
  • The nature and outcome of Eve Barlow's departure from New York Magazine are presented only from her account; the magazine's account is absent.
Sources & Further Reading
  1. New York Post — original

Read the original at New York Post

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