The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a civil-rights investigation into a pro-Palestinian protest that surrounded a Manhattan synagogue during an event on Jewish immigration to Israel, after demonstrators reportedly blocked access and chanted hostile and antisemitic slogans. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon announced the probe on social media, while New York City officials offered sharply contrasting responses.
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said the Department of Justice is examining a recent protest outside Park East Synagogue in Manhattan, where a pro-Palestinian crowd surrounded the building during an event related to Jewish immigration to Israel.
In a post on X on November 21, 2025, Dhillon wrote that blocking entry to a house of worship is a federal crime and that the Civil Rights Division, under Attorney General Pam Bondi, was gathering information about the incident, according to the Daily Wire's account of her comments.
"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!" she wrote, in a message cited by the outlet.
The protest took place while Park East Synagogue, led by Rabbi Arthur Schneier, a 95-year-old Holocaust survivor, hosted a legal informational event organized by Nefesh B’Nefesh, a group that assists Jews in immigrating to Israel, the Daily Wire reported.
According to that report, demonstrators surrounded the synagogue, reportedly blocking entry and shouting phrases such as "Death to the IDF" and "Globalize the Intifada," along with other hostile and antisemitic slogans. Citing coverage by The Times of Israel, the Daily Wire said one woman yelled "F***ing Jewish pricks," while others called Jewish participants "rapists," "racists" and "pedophiles."
On November 23, 2025, Dhillon said on X that a federal investigation was underway and reiterated that the Justice Department has "zero tolerance for violence/obstruction around any American house of worship," according to the Daily Wire's description of her follow-up post.
The protest also drew divergent reactions from New York City officials. Mayor Eric Adams condemned the demonstrators' actions, calling the crowd "sick and warped," the Daily Wire reported.
By contrast, the press secretary for mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani issued a statement saying Mamdani discouraged the protesters’ language but argued that the synagogue event was promoting activities "in violation of international law," according to the outlet. When asked for clarification, Mamdani’s office contended that facilitating Jewish immigration to Israel amounts to support for "settlement activity beyond the Green Line," the report said.
The clash over the protest and its targets has underscored wider tensions in New York City over how to balance protections for religious practice with heated political activism surrounding the Israel–Palestinian conflict.
