Jewish worshippers face Arab-led intimidation while Mamdani minimizes threats, forcing NYPD to restore dignity.
Days after pro-Palestinian Arab protesters chanted “Globalize the Intifada” and “Death to the IDF” outside Park East Synagogue on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, herself Jewish, delivered a rare public apology during Shabbat services.
Tisch told congregants the NYPD had a duty “to ensure that people could easily enter and leave shul,” and acknowledged, “That is where we fell short.” She admitted police allowed unacceptable “turmoil” to erupt directly outside a synagogue—an admission sharply contrasting with Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s earlier attempt to blame the synagogue rather than the attackers.
The demonstration—organized by pro-Palestinian Arab activists—targeted a gathering hosted by Nefesh B’Nefesh, the respected nonprofit that assists Jews immigrating to Israel. Demonstrators were permitted to congregate right in front of the synagogue entrance, leading many Jewish leaders to call the police handling dangerously inadequate.
Rabbi Marc Schneier criticized the NYPD’s decision not to move protesters to Third or Lexington Avenue, despite knowing about the protest a day in advance. “They allowed the protesters to be right in front of the synagogue, which put members of the community at risk,” he said.
Tisch agreed. The NYPD “should have set up a frozen zone,” she said. Without it, “the space right outside your steps was chaotic.” Although protest pens were established, pro-Palestinian agitators briefly surged toward the synagogue entrance before being pushed back.
She affirmed their First Amendment right to protest—“even near a house of worship”—but stated the NYPD should have done far more to shield Jewish worshippers. “You deserved an NYPD posture that recognized the sensitivity of this location, the climate we’re living in, and the heightened fear within our community,” she said. Her apology received a standing ovation, including praise from Patriots owner Robert Kraft, founder of the Blue Square Alliance against Hate.
Her remarks stood in stark contrast to Mamdani, who initially “discouraged” the protesters’ chants but then shamefully implied the synagogue misused its sacred space because its event highlighted Jewish immigration to parts of Israel the international community disputes. Jewish leaders noted this rhetoric dangerously echoes anti-Israel propaganda spread by Arab and Palestinian factions that routinely mischaracterize Jewish presence anywhere in Israel as a crime.
After widespread condemnation—including from UJA-Federation, JCRC, Gov. Kathy Hochul, and outgoing Mayor Eric Adams—Mamdani issued a softer revised statement. “Nothing can justify language calling for ‘death to’ anyone,” he finally said. But he still avoided condemning the protesters’ anti-Israel incitement.
The protest came as antisemitic hate crimes skyrocket across New York. Swastikas were sprayed on a Brooklyn yeshiva the day Mamdani was elected. The NYPD reported Jews were victims in 62% of all hate crimes last month.
Jewish leaders continue to warn that Mamdani’s long history of anti-Israel extremism, including defending “globalize the intifada” and threatening to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, emboldens radical groups whose rhetoric mirrors that of Hamas and other Arab terror factions.
Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams, fresh from his trip to Israel, visited Park East Synagogue Monday morning in a show of solidarity. “We don’t back down in the face of hate,” Adams said. “We show up.”
