Protests Erupt Outside NYC Synagogue
On Tuesday evening, tensions escalated outside a Manhattan synagogue as anti-Israel protesters faced off with law enforcement, while pro-Israel supporters showcased their beliefs with Israeli and American flags nearby.
Video clips captured New York City police intervening to separate the two groups. Approximately 100 anti-Israel demonstrators, many draped in Palestinian flags and keffiyehs, were heard chanting, “Israel should not exist.”
Not far from the Park East Synagogue, these groups exclaimed chants like “Palestine will never die” and “Stop selling stolen land.” This demonstration was organized by the group Pal Awda New York/New Jersey, which had previously held a similar event outside the same synagogue back in November, as reported.
In light of these protests, the New York City Council approved a measure allowing the NYPD to put up fencing around synagogues to safeguard congregants. Police were seen managing the fencing during the clashes that night.
The City Council’s decision passed with a vote of 44-5, but Mayor Zoran Mamdani opted not to sign it right away, potentially delaying implementation until the automatic law date on April 25.
Following the protests, the Anti-Defamation League released its annual report, declaring that 2025 was “one of the most violent periods for American Jews.” The report noted a troubling increase in physical assaults against Jews, moving from 196 the previous year to 203, with serious assaults also rising significantly.
While the audit highlighted a decrease in non-violent anti-Semitic incidents—like harassment and vandalism, down 39% and 21% respectively—ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt remarked that these figures should serve as a stark reminder of how drastically the threat landscape has shifted, with numbers once deemed shocking now being viewed as commonplace.
The ADL’s reports encompass various forms of anti-Semitic behavior, collecting data from victims, law enforcement, and partners, and analyzed by their experts for accuracy.
