An anti-Israel protest is expected on Tuesday night outside Young Israel of Jamaica Estates in Queens, one day after four people were arrested during a similar protest outside a Brooklyn synagogue, according to David Weprin, a Democratic member of the New York State Assembly.
Weprin, whose 24th Assembly District includes the synagogue, said he has been in contact with the New York City Police Department’s 107th Precinct, which he said will deploy officers “to keep the community safe.”
“I am deeply disturbed by this action that comes off the heels of multiple incidents of antisemitic vandalism and intimidation in Queens and throughout New York,” Weprin stated. “We cannot tolerate hate of any kind, and I strongly denounce any action targeting a house of worship. Jewish New Yorkers deserve to feel safe at home, at prayer, and in the community.”
It was not immediately clear which group organized the planned protest. Jewish organizations and community groups, meanwhile, scheduled a counter-rally for Tuesday evening to “protect Young Israel of Jamaica Estates” during a planned “Great Israeli Real Estate Event.”
“We will stand together proudly, peacefully and unapologetically in support of our community, our values and our right to worship safely,” a flyer for the counter-rally states.
Deborah Lipstadt, former U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, told JNS that “violence escalates” at such demonstrations.
“It starts with words, then moves to shoving, then to punching and so on,” she said. “Those who engage in acts of violence must be stopped early on.”
“What seems to have happened both at Park East Synagogue and in Queens proves that the bill the mayor vetoed was more than necessary,” she said.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani last month allowed a bill requiring the NYPD to develop security-perimeter plans for houses of worship to become law, after it passed the City Council with a veto-proof majority. However, he vetoed a separate bill covering schools and educational institutions, citing First Amendment concerns and arguing the measure was too broad.
Mark Treyger, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, called on public officials to “reject the dangerous effort by some bad actors to target, isolate or intimidate Jewish institutions and communities for living our identity openly and proudly.”
“These disturbing incidents further reinforce the importance of clear and transparent safe-access policies championed by leaders such as Gov. Kathy Hochul and Speaker Julie Menin so that no New Yorker ever has to calculate personal risk before entering or leaving a house of worship,” he said.
The City Council is reportedly expected to consider an override vote on the vetoed schools measure on Thursday.
