Pro-Israel and anti-Zionist protesters clash near UN ahead of Netanyahu address
Key Takeaways
- Scuffles broke out between pro-Israel and anti-Zionist demonstrators near the UN.
- Pro-Israel protesters raised concerns about rising antisemitism, while anti-Zionist protesters targeted Netanyahu.
- NYPD officers separated rival groups as security tightened around Netanyahu’s UN visit.
Police separated rival demonstrators near the United Nations as protests over antisemitism and Netanyahu’s visit brought tensions onto New York streets.
Scuffles broke out between pro-Israel and anti-Zionist demonstrators near the United Nations in New York on Wednesday, ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to the UN General Assembly.
Hundreds of Jewish protesters gathered in the area, with one group rallying against antisemitism while Orthodox Jewish anti-Zionist demonstrators held a separate protest.
Footage showed arguments and gestures being exchanged across police barricades, while some demonstrators confronted each other at close range.
NYPD officers moved between the rival groups as pro-Israel protesters carried signs reading 'End global antisemitism now' and 'Stop antisemitism now'.
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On the other side, Orthodox Jewish anti-Zionist protesters displayed posters featuring Netanyahu and the words ‘Wanted for crimes against humanity’, alongside other anti-Zionist messages.
Protesters Raise Antisemitism Concerns
"Of course there is a rise in anti-Semitism. You only have to look at all the figures," said protester Marilyn, arguing that Jewish community members no longer felt safe on the streets.
"I live in New Jersey. I've had cars stop and say obscenities to me, and people are being attacked for wearing a Star of David. Of course, there's a tremendous rise in anti-Semitism, and our mayor in New York is fanning the flames," she claimed.
Another pro-Israel demonstrator, Ben Akselrod, called on New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani to release his administration's promised plan to tackle antisemitism.
"As previously promised to release a report on how to combat anti-Semitism. And he said he would release it before the High Holidays. It is now after the High Holidays. I appreciate that he often says New York should be a place for all New Yorkers, including Jewish New Yorkers. But you have to do more than just rhetoric. I want to see the plan for how things work."
Akselrod said antisemitism had been increasing for years and argued that the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and the war that followed had accelerated the problem.
Mamdani said on September 9 that confirmed hate crimes across New York City had risen 16 percent during the first eight months of 2026, while antisemitic hate crimes were up 9 percent.
Netanyahu Visit Raises Security Tensions
Security around the UN has been tightened as Netanyahu visits New York for the General Assembly.
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Mamdani had previously pledged during his mayoral campaign to seek Netanyahu's arrest over the International Criminal Court warrant against the Israeli leader.
In July, however, Mamdani acknowledged that New York City did not have the independent legal authority to enforce the ICC warrant.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
