Pro-Palestinian Group Accused of Targeting Jewish New Yorkers; Governor Criticized

A pro-Palestinian activist group, Pal-Awda, is accused of disrupting and canceling a real estate information session for Jewish families in Riverdale, The Bronx. The group allegedly publicized plans to target the Saturday-night meeting, prompting organizers to move the event online. Pal-Awda has claimed responsibility for the cancellation, stating their intention to "shut down these events and making them untenable in the City."

This incident follows a similar event on October 11, where Pal-Awda allegedly disrupted an aliyah fair organized by Nefesh B’Nefesh in Queens, forcing its cancellation hours before it was scheduled to begin. Pal-Awda is also linked to a previous protest outside Park East Synagogue in November, where participants chanted "globalize the intifada."

Organizers of the Riverdale event confirmed that threats from Pal-Awda led to the cancellation of the in-person gathering. Bronx Democrats, including Rep. Ritchie Torres, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, and Borough President Vanessa Gibson, jointly denounced Pal-Awda's actions, calling it an "attack on Jewish New Yorkers."

Governor Kathy Hochul has faced criticism for her response to these events. The article notes that Hochul visited Riverdale for a campaign event with Dinowitz and Gibson shortly after the Pal-Awda disruption, but did not publicly address the targeting of Jewish New Yorkers during that visit or in subsequent social media posts. Critics argue that her silence indicates a lack of concern for threats against Jewish communities.

The article asserts that the actions of Pal-Awda, while framed by the group as relating to "stolen land," are driven by antisemitic hate. New York law provides protections for Jewish people in various gathering places, including private homes, under statutes that prohibit threats, intimidation, and discriminatory harassment. The article points out that while political support for Israel is not protected, the law does protect the cultural and ancestral bonds that lead Jewish families to consider moving to Israel.

Mayor Eric Adams has also been criticized for his silence on the matter. The article suggests that Pal-Awda's rhetoric has been emboldened by the mayor's own language, and that the group has tagged the mayor in its posts, urging him to stop "illegal activity" related to Jewish real estate gatherings.

Jeffrey Lax, a CUNY professor and co-founder of Students and Faculty for Equality at CUNY, contributed to the article, stating that both Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul have failed to protect Jewish New Yorkers by not condemning Pal-Awda's actions and by not assuring institutions that they will not face repercussions for supporting the Jewish community. Lax contends that Pal-Awda and its supporters view Jewish neighborhoods and homes as "fair game" due to the perceived inaction of city and state leadership.