The American Jewish Congress strongly condemns the threatening demonstration outside Park East Synagogue, where protesters chanted “Death to the IDF” and “Globalize the intifada” as Jewish New Yorkers entered a house of worship. This was not a legitimate protest. It was an act of intimidation targeting a religious community.
While we note and welcome the mayor-elect’s decision to discourage the protesters’ rhetoric, the accompanying suggestion – by one of his spokespersons – that the synagogue’s event “promoted activities in violation of international law” is deeply troubling. That caveat risks validating those who desecrate sacred spaces and turn a Jewish nonprofit – Nefesh B’Nefesh, which for decades has helped families pursue their connection to the Land of Israel – into a political scapegoat at the very moment it is under attack.
Houses of worship must remain spaces of safety, dignity, and community. Introducing legalistic insinuations in this context blurs moral lines that should remain bright. Today it was a synagogue; tomorrow it could be a church or a mosque. New York cannot afford this normalization of targeted hostility.
The American Jewish Congress calls on all city leaders to speak clearly: intimidation at any house of worship is unacceptable، and never excusable.
(Photo Credit: Luke Tress/Times of Israel)
