The NYPD will be out in full force Friday in anticipation of possible mayhem stemming from the global “day of Jihad” called for by Hamas’ ex-chief — which has left religious centers on edge and some Jewish parents scared to bring their kids to school.
During a meeting with Jewish community leaders Thursday, Deputy Commissioner of the NYPD Intelligence and Counterterrorism Bureau, Rebecca Weiner, stressed that police were bolstering their presence out of “an abundance of caution” and that there were no credible or specific threats to the city.
“This is to deter anyone who would seek to do us harm in this city,” Weiner said, “We still are not seeing any threat reporting suggesting violence in New York City.”
“We are obviously aware that that can change at any moment.”
Police advised religious centers to limit access to buildings, ensure doors are locked at all times, double check their security cameras and alarms are working properly, conduct perimeter sweeps, and screen any mail and packages.
All officers have been ordered to report for duty in uniform ahead of the expected protests, according to a memo circulated to all members of the NYPD Wednesday night, which noted nobody would be granted excusals or shift changes and the order would remain in effect “until further notices.”
It was issued shortly after Khaled Meshaal, the leader of Hamas from 2004 to 2017, called on the Islamic world to stage protests supporting Palestine Friday following the terror group’s bloody sneak attack launched against Israel over the weekend.
Though Meshaal did not explicitly call for violence, Mayor Eric Adams urged New Yorkers to remain vigilant.
“I want every New Yorker, especially Jewish New Yorkers and other groups to know there are currently no credible or specific threats against our city, but with large-scale protests planned for tomorrow, we must remain vigilant,” he said during in a virtual briefing Thursday evening.
Some schools have also prepared themselves for possible trouble.
Rabbi Hillel Lavery-Yisraëli, a father from Fresh Meadows, told The Post that his son’s Jewish day school had beefed up security this week by adding an extra guard to help the staff already posted at every entrance.
“The big thing, at least for my son, is that they decided, until further notice, they’re not letting kids outside during recess,” said the father. “Even though they have a totally fenced-in yard, the kids are spending the entire school day indoors just as a precaution.”
“From the moment they get to school until they get picked up, they’re inside the building. They [the school] are worried about copycats or sympathy attacks.”
“It’s a really bizarre situation. We want to tell our children that they’re safe here.” But it’s not, he said, adding, “There are plenty of people who look for opportunities to do things like this.”
The Department of Education sent a message to principals and superintendents, advising them to “maintain a heightened sense of situational awareness,” and noted that the NYPD keeps a close watch on social media for any threats of violence.
“We remain in constant communication with NYPD, and at this time, there are no specific threats against our schools,” New York City Public Schools Chancellor David Banks wrote in the letter.
Columbia University went so far as to close its campus to the public beginning Thursday, hours after a 24-year-old Israeli student was beaten with a stick outside the school’s library on Wednesday evening.
The victim said he saw a 19-year-old woman tearing down posters bearing the names and pictures of victims taken hostage by Hamas this week, and they got into an argument, according to the Columbia Daily Spectator. The woman was arrested after the attack and charged with assault.
Columbia said it was restricting campus access “to help maintain safety and a sense of community through planned demonstration activities” in a statement to the New York Times.
Protests for Palestine already began in some parts of the city Thursday, including rallies at Brooklyn College, Hunter College, and the College of Staten Island.
Outside the rally at Hunter, 22-year-old Albert Jurkowsk carried an Israeli flag, but told The Post he thought everyone had the right to demonstrate so long as they did so peacefully.
“In the land where people are allowed to protest, god bless them. I think protest is healthy, even if I don’t agree with it,” he said, adding that he did not feel worried about the day of Jihad.
“I don’t feel unsafe. I feel like if there are any credible threats American intelligence and the FBI would be able to keep us safe from any mass violence.”
“I’m not Jewish but my Jewish friends might feel differently,” he added.