From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Anti-Zionist group announces protest outside New York City synagogue today
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLuke Tress is The Times of Israel's New York correspondent.
The Pal-Awda anti-Zionist activist group announces a protest tonight outside Park East Synagogue in New York City.
The group says it is targeting an event that markets real estate in Israel.
Protests outside synagogues in the city tend to be especially vitriolic.
Activist groups around the city are sharing advertisements for the protest, while Jewish community members are circulating calls for a counter-demonstration.
In November, Pal-Awda protested outside the same synagogue. The demonstrators harassed Jewish passersby with antisemitic epithets and chanted “Death to the IDF” and “We need to make them scared.”
That demonstration, targeting an event about moving to Israel, sparked outrage, leading to New York City Council legislation that requires the police to formulate and publicize plans for handling protests at houses of worship. The legislation became law last month, but police are not yet required to implement new measures.
Tonight’s protest could present a challenge to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
After the November protest, which took place following Mamdani’s election win but before he took office, he criticized both the protesters and the synagogue, provoking backlash.
The Times of Israel Community.