The US Department of Justice announced it is investigating an anti-Israel protest permitted by the NYPD just steps from the historic Park East Synagogue in Manhattan, according to the New York Sun. <\/p>\n
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said on Sunday, Every time we see violence around a house of worship, we take action,\u201d noting that a federal investigation \u201cis underway.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added that the DOJ has \u201czero tolerance\u201d for obstruction \u201caround any American house of worship.\u201d <\/p>\n
The protest took place last week<\/a>, when roughly 200 demonstrators gathered outside the synagogue to oppose an event hosted by Nefesh B\u2019Nefesh, which assists Jews in America and Canada with Aliyah to Israel. <\/p>\n Keffiyeh-clad protesters shouted chants including \u201cDeath to the IDF,\u201d \u201cWe don\u2019t want no Zionists here,\u201d \u201cFrom New York to Gaza, globalize the intifada,\u201d and \u201cResistance you make us proud, take another settler out.\u201d Other phrases reported included \u201cone solution\u201d and \u201cstolen land.\u201d<\/p>\n Barricades and a heavy NYPD presence kept order, though shoving broke out between anti-Israel agitators and counter-protesters. Activists heckled police officers, but no arrests were made. <\/p>\n The protest was condemned by several local leaders. A spokesperson for mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, while condemning the protest, also stated that<\/a> Mamdani believes that \u201csacred spaces should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law”, while failing to clarify what in Nefesh B\u2019Nefesh\u2019s activities can be deemed a violation of international law.<\/p>\n Data released<\/a> by the New York City Police Department on the day before the mayoral election won by Mamdani revealed that Jews were the victims in 62% of all hate crimes reported last month, with 29 antisemitic incidents out of a total of 47.<\/p>\n On the very day that Mamdani was elected, swastikas were sprayed<\/a> on the Magen David Yeshiva in Brooklyn.<\/p>\n