An aggressive group of protesters, adorned in keffiyehs and opposing Israel, took to the streets near a historic synagogue in Manhattan on Tuesday night. They clashed with law enforcement while vociferously declaring, “Israel should not exist.”
Around 100 demonstrators, brandishing Palestinian flags and beating drums, gathered just a short distance from Park East Synagogue in Manhattan. They chanted slogans like “Palestine will never die” and “Stop the sale of stolen land” in opposition to an event centered on real estate in Israel and the West Bank, as captured in startling video footage.
The synagogue on East 67th Street was safeguarded by police barriers, yet the footage shows protesters in a tense standoff with officers as they attempted to breach these barricades.
Law enforcement can be heard instructing the crowd to “step back” as they pushed the protesters onto the sidewalk, with counter-protesters also making their presence felt nearby.
Karen Lichtbraun, co-sponsor of the Zionist group Herut New York City, commented on the situation, describing the pro-Palestinian demonstrators as “a bunch of brainwashed fools.”
She added, “Israel does not occupy anything. It’s the Jewish homeland. And this is all anti-Zionism, which equates to anti-Semitism and Jew hate.”
The 7 p.m. protest was led by the anti-Israel activist group Pal-Awda NY/NJ, which promoted the rally with slogans such as “No settlers on stolen land” and “Stop the sale of stolen Palestinian land.”
The demonstration quickly spilled into another anti-Israel protest at Hunter College, with about 200 rabble-rousers weaving through the streets carrying signs reading “Labeling people as anti-semites cannot justify occupation and brutality” and “Stop the sale of Palestinian Land.”
Police said no arrests have been made, describing the protest as “orderly” and “peaceful.”
