DOJ Launches Investigation After Pro-Palestinian Mob Targets NYC Synagogue

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon stated that the Department of Justice will not tolerate mob intimidation or obstruction targeting houses of worship, following an incident in Manhattan in which a pro-Palestinian crowd surrounded Park East Synagogue. In a Friday post on X, Dhillon emphasized that blocking access to a house of worship is a federal crime, adding that the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, under Attorney General Pam Bondi, was gathering information about the event.

It’s a federal crime to block access to a house of worship in the US. @CivilRights under @AGPamBondi will NOT tolerate it and we are gathering information about this incident! https://t.co/cBnAHCq986

— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) November 21, 2025

On Sunday, she confirmed that a federal investigation was underway, reiterating that the Department maintains zero tolerance for violence or obstruction near any religious institution.

Investigation is underway. @TheJusticeDept has zero tolerance for violence/obstruction around any American house of worship. https://t.co/rEEFAifj6n

— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) November 23, 2025

The confrontation occurred when Park East Synagogue, led by 95-year-old Holocaust survivor Rabbi Arthur Schneier, hosted a legal informational event organized by Nefesh B’Nefesh, a group that assists Jews in immigrating to Israel. Protesters surrounded the building, reportedly blocking entry and shouting phrases including “Death to the IDF” and “Globalize the Intifada,” along with other hostile and antisemitic slogans.

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“Another woman shouted, ‘F***ing Jewish pricks,’ while others called the Jewish demonstrators ‘rapists,’ ‘racists,’ and ‘pedophiles,’” The Times of Israel reported.

Instead of focusing on the mob’s actions, New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s press secretary issued a statement saying he discouraged the protesters’ language, but also suggested the synagogue was promoting activities “in violation of international law.” When asked to clarify, his office argued that facilitating Jewish immigration to Israel constitutes support for “settlement activity beyond the Green Line.”