200 Protesters Chant 'Intifada' Outside Historic NYC Synagogue During Immigration Event

New York City, NY – Approximately 200 anti-Israel protesters gathered outside Manhattan's historic Park East Synagogue on Wednesday night, chanting "Globalize the intifada" and other inflammatory slogans. The demonstration targeted an event hosted by Nefesh B’nefesh, an organization facilitating Jewish immigration to Israel, which protesters labeled a "settler recruiting fair." The incident drew condemnation and raised concerns about rising antisemitism.

The protest, organized by groups including Pal-Awda, saw demonstrators heckling attendees and obstructing the view of the synagogue's entrance, which is shared with the Park East Day School. Chants included "Resistance you make us proud, take another settler out," and calls to "make them scared." NYPD officers were present, using barricades to separate the protesters from a smaller Jewish counter-protest, though no arrests were reported.

Inside the 135-year-old synagogue, Senior Rabbi Arthur Schneier, a 95-year-old Holocaust survivor, continued with the scheduled event. According to a social media post by Rabbi Poupko, who referenced Rabbi Schneier's perspective, "The Rabbi of the synagogue is a holocaust survivor who remembers vividly the horrors of Kristallnacht. Now, he gets to see the same human material that shattered the glass of synagogues in Berlin and Vienna in 1938, outside his own synagogue."

Nefesh B’nefesh, the target of the protest, assists North American Jews in immigrating to Israel and does not direct immigrants to controversial settlements. However, anti-Zionist activists frequently characterize all Jewish Israelis as "settlers." The protest underscores ongoing tensions and the increasing frequency of demonstrations in New York City related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Rabbi Poupko's post further emphasized the perceived nature of the protest, stating, "This is not about Gaza and has never been about Gaza. This is an attack on the Jewish people." The incident has sparked broader discussions about the distinction between anti-Zionism and antisemitism, particularly when protests occur directly outside places of worship.