Anti-Israel activists and hassidic Jews clashed outside the Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters in Brooklyn on Thursday night, as protesters gathered outside the site to demonstrate against a visit by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Six people were taken into custody, the New York Police Department said on Sunday. Five of them were issued court summonses and one was arrested. Twenty-eight-year-old Oscar Vidal was charged with assault in the second degree, two counts of assault in the third degree, two counts of criminal mischief, and three counts of harassment in the second degree.
According to New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, in a Friday statement, one activist entered the building during an address by Ben-Gvir.
Principal protest organizations Within Our Lifetime (WOL) and Neturei Karta said on social media that their activists were attacked by counter-protesters, which had been ignored by the NYPD. WOL leader Nerdeen Kiswani said that a woman had been hit in the face with a brick, and other counter-protesters allegedly hurled eggs and urine.
“Palestinian protesters in Brooklyn are being attacked by racist Zionist Lubavitchers while NYPD and Shomrim stand by and do nothing. Protesters are bleeding, chased, blocked from leaving 770 Eastern Parkway – eggs thrown, people beaten in plain view,” Kiswani said on X/Twitter. “This is a pogrom.”
Violence claims
Kiswani denied that any synagogues were surrounded, or that the protest had threatened any Jews. Chabad HQ contains a yeshiva and a synagogue.
One video shared by WOL showed a woman being escorted away by a police officer while counter-protesters continued to heckle her. One man shouted “Death to Arabs” in Hebrew.
Neturei Karta said on X that counter-protesters had incited violence against religious Jews and pro-Palestinian protesters.
Stefanik issued a statement critical of the protesters for demonstrating outside Chabad HQ.
“Pro-terrorist antisemitic anarchists violently targeted one of the holiest Jewish sites in America, shouting vile antisemitic death chants and attacking Jews as they gathered in peace,” said Stefanik.
“This vicious, destructive antisemitism is part of a disturbing and growing trend across our country. I have been warning about these extremist, anti-American groups for years – they have no morals, no respect for civil discourse, and they resort to dangerous violence when confronted with truth.”
Ben-Gvir has been on a tour of the United States, and his attendance at a private Brooklyn residence was protested on Sunday by the Palestinian Assembly for Liberation-Awda New York and New Jersey, according to the group’s Instagram posts and stories.
The Israeli minister’s visit to Yale University also saw intense protests, with a failed encampment established on Wednesday night. As he left the event on Thursday, water bottles were thrown at him and his entourage.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.