New York leaders condemn pro-Palestinian ‘Intifada’ chants at New York synagogue protest

Protesters gathered outside a New York synagogue Wednesday evening to chant a series of anti-Israel chants, drawing condemnation from New York leaders, including Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, whose history of anti-Israel statements sparked fear and concern in New York’s Jewish community even before his election.

The “No Settlers on Stolen Land” protest took place outside Manhattan’s Park East Synagogue, which was hosting an event organized by Nefesh B’Nefesh, a nonprofit organization that helps American Jews immigrate to Israel. Protesters called for an Intifada – a term widely seen as a call for violence against Jews – and the death of the Israel Defense Forces. They also chanted “We don’t want Zionists here.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., condemned the protest as a “blatant attack on the Jewish community.”

“No New Yorker should be intimidated or harassed in their place of worship,” Hochul said. said in a statement. “What happened last night at (the Park East Synagogue) was shameful and a blatant attack on the Jewish community. Hate has no place in New York.”

FOX NEWS NEWSLETTER “ANTI-SEMITISM EXPOSED”: WILL NEW YORK’S NEXT MAYOR HATE JEWS?

Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, told Fox News Digital that Mamdani had “discouraged the language used at last night’s protest and will continue to do so.”

“He believes that every New Yorker should be free to enter a place of worship without intimidation, and that these sacred spaces should not be used to promote activities that violate international law,” Pekec added.

During the Democratic mayoral primary, Mamdani refused to condemn the phrase “globalize the Intifada” – arguing that he did not support police language. He then relented that he would “discourage” others from using the phrase after conversations with Jewish New Yorkers.

Meanwhile, outgoing Mayor Eric Adams, who is currently visiting Israel, condemned the protests Thursday and pledged to visit the Park East Synagogue upon his return to New York.

“Places of worship are where people go to heal, reflect and respect one another. Church, mosque, synagogue, it makes no difference. Shouting vile things in front of any of them is not ‘protest,’ it is desecration. It shows how sick and perverted these agitators are,” Adams said, while urging New Yorkers that “we cannot turn this city over to the radicals.”

Protesters gather during the “No Settlers on Stolen Land” demonstration at the Park East Synagogue in Manhattan, during an event organized by Nefesh B’nefesh, an organization that helps American Jews immigrate to Israel, Wednesday evening, November 19, 2025, in New York. (Selçuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

NYC RABBI Warns that ZOHRAN MAMDANI “POSES A DANGER” TO THE SECURITY OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY

Rabbi Elchanan Poupko, host of The Jewish World podcast, posted one of several videos from the protest, which has been viewed more than 2 million times.

“Anti-Semites appeared in front of the Park East Synagogue and chanted the Intifada,” Poupko said in his message. “The synagogue’s rabbi is a Holocaust survivor who vividly remembers the horrors of Kristallnacht. Today he can see the same human material that smashed the windows of the synagogues in Berlin and Vienna in 1938, in front of his own synagogue. This is not Gaza and never has been Gaza. This is an attack on the Jewish people.”

Rabbi Arthur Schneier is the senior rabbi of Park East Synagogue. He was born in Vienna in 1930, survived the Holocaust in Budapest, Hungary, and came to the United States in 1947, according to the synagogue’s website.

Kristallnacht, or the “Night of Broken Glass,” refers to the violent anti-Jewish riots that took place on the night of November 9-10, 1938, and which marked a turning point in Nazi Germany’s rise to power and violence against Jews, according to the United States. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

A protester waves a Palestinian flag in front of the Park East Synagogue in Manhattan on Wednesday evening, November 19, 2025, in New York. (Selçuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

New York City has faced a rise in anti-Semitism since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and subsequent war in Gaza, which sparked widespread protests across the city, including at Columbia University.

Throughout his mayoral campaign, Mamdani maintained his commitment to protecting New York’s Jews, despite resistance from Jewish leaders and his mayoral opponents, former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa.

A woman carrying an Israeli flag enters the Park East Synagogue in Manhattan, New York, during a protest against settlers on stolen land, November 19, 2025. (Selçuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Weeks before Election Day, a group of prominent New York City rabbis joined more than 650 rabbis across the country in signing “A Rabbinical Call to Action: Defending the Jewish Future,” asserting that American Jews “cannot remain silent” about discrimination against Jewish people and citing Mamdani’s critical positions toward Israel.

Mamdani has been widely criticized for various statements and positions on Israel, including his support for sanctions against Israel and his reluctance to denounce Hamas in interviews. This model dates back to his college days at Bowdoin College, where he founded the Students for Justice chapter in Palestine.

“Anyone who has been paying attention over the past two years knows that such rhetoric has sparked a rise in anti-Semitism and violence against Jews,” Rabbi Joshua M. Davidson, senior rabbi at Temple Emanu-El, told Fox News Digital.

Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.