Jewish worship attacked while celebrating Hanukkah, proving extremist hatred thrives under anti-Israel protest cover worldwide.
A grave antisemitic incident unfolded Sunday evening in Istanbul, when Jews heading to light the eighth and final Hanukkah candle were harassed and threatened by pro-Palestinian Arab demonstrators near the Neve Shalom Synagogue.
According to eyewitnesses, protesters waved Palestine Liberation Organization flags, hurled insults, and shouted threats such as “These Zionists should leave this country,” openly targeting Jews for their identity and faith. The attack occurred not at a political rally, but during a religious observance—underscoring the collapse of the claim that such demonstrations are merely “political.”
Footage circulating on social media shows demonstrators attempting to approach the Jewish group before being blocked by Turkish police, who intervened and dispersed the crowd, preventing the situation from escalating into physical violence.
In a chilling post afterward, one protest supporter justified the intimidation, accusing Jews of “glorifying genocide” and vowing continued action against “Zionists and their collaborators.” The language echoed classic antisemitic tropes—collective guilt, demonization, and calls for exclusion—now repackaged under the banner of anti-Israel activism.
The incident adds to mounting evidence that anti-Zionist protests across the world are increasingly serving as cover for open Jew-hatred, threatening Jewish communities far beyond the Middle East. As Israel continues to defend itself against terror, Jews worldwide are paying the price—harassed, intimidated, and attacked simply for existing.
Hanukkah’s message is light over darkness. In Istanbul, that light once again revealed an uncomfortable truth: antisemitism remains alive, emboldened, and dangerously normalized.
