The CEO of a drone-manufacturing firm, which counts the Israel Defense Forces among its clients, claims that the company is being forced out of the Brooklyn Navy Yard due to NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s alleged “pro-Palestine” stance.
The Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corp., overseeing the 300-acre industrial hub, recently announced the decision not to renew the company’s lease, attributing the move to “business reasons.” The board members of this corporation are appointed by the mayor.
Shahar Abuhazira, CEO of Easy Aerial, shared with The Post on Thursday that he discovered through “private conversations” with board members that the decision was influenced by Mamdani, who assumed office on January 1. This development marks the end of the company’s seven-year tenure in NYC.
“I was informed that there was indeed pressure from the mayor’s office, and it was advised not to contest the decision,” Abuhazira stated.
Since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, protests have targeted the company at the former Navy shipyard. A group known as “Demilitarize Brooklyn Navy Yard” has been particularly vocal, urging the board to evict tenants with ties to Israel.
Abuhazira also noted that security around Easy Aerial at the Navy Yard has “suddenly” weakened since Mamdani’s tenure began, citing multiple break-in attempts that resulted in broken windows and damage to the facility.
During a Feb. 11 rally, the anti-Israel protestors gained access into the lobby of the building Easy Aerial rents for six hours. At one point, they openly taunted the company’s co-founder Ivan Stamatovski as NYPD cops escorted him to elevators, video posted by the protesters on Instagram shows.
Easy Aerial assists the Israel Defense Forces by supplying surveillance drones for reconnaissance missions and monitoring borders along the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, but most of its work is with the US Air Force and other federal agencies.
Its spies-in-the-sky have been used to monitor suspicious activity along the Mexican border, and its high-profile work also includes Super Bowl security.
Abuhazira said the 100-employee company has received offers to relocate out of the Big Apple since The Post broke the news of its ouster but is trying to remain in NYC because its staff is mostly Brooklyn-based. He also said the company — which must leave the industrial park by the end of June — is considering legal action.
”Five months ago, we doubled the size of our space, and they had no issues with that,” he said. “But since the new mayor got elected [in November], everything has changed.”
“This is something that is going to cause us a lot of damage,” he continued. “It is not easy to move a company on such short notice.”
The Mayor’s Office did not return messages, but Navy Yard spokesperson Claire Holmes insisted the decision was made before Mamdani took office.
“BNYDC declined to renew Easy Aerial’s lease in December 2025 after repeated compliance issues dating back to 2023, which include flying drones in unauthorized areas and improper usage of utility sources,” she said.
“BNYDC communicated with Easy Aerial about these issues by phone, email, and in-person over the last three years. There were no other factors in our decision.”
She also said the Navy Yard “connected” Easy Aerial with the state’s economic development arm, Empire State Development Corp., to help it locate another New York space “in a larger, less dense environment with ample FAA-approved drone flight areas and easy access to utility sources.”
