Anti-Israel demonstrators gathered outside a Jewish home in northeastern New Jersey on Thursday night, chanting antisemitic phrases and holding photos of Adolf Hitler and Hamas leaders in protest of an Israeli real-estate event.
About 100 pro-Hamas protesters flocked to a quiet residential neighborhood in Bergenfield, where real-estate company My Israel Home hosted a presentation that advertised the sale of properties in Israel.
The New Jersey chapter of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), which organized the protest, claimed the advertised properties lie on “stolen land,” referring to the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel retains territorial control over both, but pro-Palestinian activists believe the Jewish state illegally occupies the land.
AMP claimed on social media that the event violated New Jersey’s anti-discrimination laws by keeping Palestinians out of the venue. It also claimed the event is in violation of international law, citing the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit the marketing or selling of properties on illegally occupied land.
The group accused Israel of trying to “advance their imperialist agenda” through the real-estate event, equating it to “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians.
Footage of the protest shows participants shouting through megaphones “globalize the intifada” and “from the river to the sea,” while telling Jews to return to Poland.
The Bergen County Jewish Action Committee (BCJAC) said the pro-Israel counter-protesters in attendance were peaceful, playing music to rival the pro-Hamas group’s blaring horns and antisemitic chants.
“A counter-protest was organized to voice our community’s shock that this gathering of harassment and intimidation, with no permit, was allowed by local authorities to take place in front of a private home,” BCJAC vice president Rachel Cyrulnik told National Review.
“Community members came to chant and sing peacefully and show support for the family whose privacy was invaded. To show resilience and thanks, the family offered cholent and kugel to community members who came out.”
Not only was the protest loud, but it placed physical and emotional stress on families. One resident couldn’t drive her disabled daughter to physical therapy because the protest blocked access to her car, the Jewish organization said. The mother resorted to pushing her daughter in a wheelchair to the appointment.
“Arriving at the scene of the protest felt surreal. These blocks are familiar, as I often drop my children off at playdates in the area,” Cyrulnik said. “This otherwise quiet and residential street was filled with protesters, police officers, and blockades. On a school night, protesters blared loud horns and held up signs refuting Israel’s right to exist and accusing Israel of genocide.”
“There should be no place for hate in our towns,” the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey posted on Friday. “We call upon community leaders and law enforcement to protect the innocent civilians being targeted solely because of their Jewish identity.”
In response to Thursday’s protest, Bergenfield mayor Arvin Amatorio said borough officials are working on a security plan to protect local residents in the event of future disruptions.
“Our foremost goal is to ensure the safety of our community,” Amatorio said. “We are fully committed to preventing disruptions to residents’ peaceful activities and will not allow anyone to create danger or harm to the community. Please rest assured that we are taking every possible measure to keep you and our community safe.”
Notably, the protest occurred without the required permits. Whether the organizer of a demonstration needs a permit depends on certain factors, such as the location and the number of people involved. Bergenfield did not issue any permits for the protest, the mayor noted.
Despite no permit being issued, the protest was allowed to proceed as Bergenfield police officers erected barriers between the anti-Israel and pro-Israel protesters.
American Muslims for Palestine did not respond to a request for comment.
In June, House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer (R., Ky.) inquired whether the nonprofit was funding pro-Hamas propaganda and encampments across the U.S. The group responded to Comer, stating it has not been involved in illegal activities nor has it supported terrorist organizations.
AMP portrays itself as a nonprofit dedicated to promoting Palestinian issues and culture in the U.S., according to its website. However, the Anti-Defamation League says it “promotes extreme anti-Israel views and has at times provided a platform for anti-Semitism under the guise of educating Americans about ‘the just cause of Palestine and the rights of self-determination.'”
One of American Muslims for Palestine’s national board members, Salah Sarsour, was tied to fundraising for Hamas in the 1990s, according to ADL’s 2013 profile on the organization. Sarsour was arrested by Israel for funding Hamas in 1995 and, according to his brother, became acquainted with a Hamas military commander while imprisoned.