NY Knicks slam Mamdani-backed antisemitic candidate for using their logo

The Knicks accused Aber Kawas’s campaign of unlawfully using the team’s branding in campaign materials.

By World Israel News Staff

The New York Knicks have sent a cease-and-desist letter to the campaign of Aber Kawas, a far-left democratic socialist candidate for local office, citing her unlawful use of the team’s trademarks and branding in campaign materials.

Kawas, who is endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, distributed campaign stickers modeled after the Knicks’ iconic logo and color scheme. The stickers read, “I voted for Aber Kawas,” with the candidate’s name replacing “Knicks” in a design closely resembling the NBA franchise’s branding.

According to a cease-and-desist letter obtained by the New York Post, attorneys representing Madison Square Garden Sports demanded that the campaign immediately stop using the team’s intellectual property.

“Neither the Knicks nor NBA [Properties] have authorized the Campaign to use Knicks Intellectual Property in any way, including the Unauthorized Advertisements, which are likely to mislead the public into believing that the Campaign is affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by, or in some way connected with the Knicks,” Brian N. Warner, senior vice president and head of legal for Madison Square Garden Sports, wrote in the letter.

The letter continued: “The Campaign’s activities in this regard constitute, among other things, trademark infringement, trademark dilution, false advertising, false association, and unfair competition.”

Kawas, who describes herself as a Palestinian American, has made anti-Israel advocacy a focal point of her campaign.

According to a Fox News report, Kawas’ parents entered the United States illegally, and her father was later convicted of real estate fraud before serving a prison sentence and ultimately being deported to Jordan. During her run for office, Kawas has implied that her father is the victim of anti-Muslim bigotry.

In deleted social media posts, Kawas referred to a man convicted in 2012 of plotting to bomb a New York synagogue as a “brother.” In another post, she described a man imprisoned for attempting to funnel money to al-Qaeda as a “living martyr” and praised him as an example of “patience, sacrifice and integrity.”