BY MOSHE HILL OPINION COLUMNS JUNE 12 2024
In the “good old days” of protesters in the immediate aftermath of October 7, those who demanded the destruction of the Jewish state at least had the decency to do so under the guise of separating their support for the Palestinian people from their support for the genocidal terrorists that committed those atrocities. At that time, most of the people on the streets had their faces uncovered, assuming they’d be out there for only a short while. These people were accustomed to getting their way after a tantrum. As the war drags on, these people are elevating their rhetoric, and their tactics, and are doing so under the cover of anonymity. The physical masks went on, so the rhetorical masks are now off.
On October 10, a video from the Sydney Opera House in Australia went viral as more than a thousand people gathered, waving Palestinian flags, and started chanting, “gas the Jews.” This immediately was considered an outlier event, not related to the wider protests in support of the Palestinians. That was always a lie, and everyone with a working brain knew it at the time. All the “protests” in the immediate aftermath of October 7 were prior to Israel even going into Gaza, meaning they were essentially celebration of October 7. Still, the lie had to be told for the movement to gain traction.
In the intervening months, the movement is at full speed. From ripping down hostage posters, to blocking traffic on the streets of major cities, to harassing shoppers during the holiday season in malls, to the occupation of college campuses, to the defacement and destruction of national monuments, this has been a non-stop express train for eight months.
On Monday, an exhibit in downtown Manhattan was the target of the pro-Hamas group “Within Our Lifetime.” This group was founded by Nerdeen Kiswani, who was the CUNY Law student chosen commencement speaker several years ago. At that time, she was merely a person who expressed desire for Zionists to get shot and cheerily posted a video of her threatening to burn a man alive for wearing an IDF shirt. Now she commands an army.
The exhibit that she directed her army to attack was one commemorating and memorializing the victims of the Nova Music festival, where 364 people were killed by Hamas terrorists. The protesters lit flares and waved a flag associated with Hezbollah, yelled “Israel go to hell” and clashed with police. To complete the picture, a banner reading, “Long live October 7” was proudly waved.
One of the exhibit’s organizers, music mogul Scooter Braun, condemned the protest in a social media post. “I don’t understand why protesting a memorial for innocent music lovers who were raped and butchered and kidnapped helps,” he said. “Go see the @novaexhibition and see the truth instead of standing outside listening to yourself.”
Others were more critical. Former Israeli government speechwriter Aviva Klompas tweeted, “How utterly evil do you have to be to protest outside a site that memorializes the 1,200 victims of October 7?” Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine called the targeting of the exhibition “vicious,” “repulsive,” and “vile,” condemning it in the strongest terms. US Rep. Michael Lawler (R-NY) described the actions of the protesters as “disgusting.”
Joel Petlin, superintendent of the Kiryas Joel School District, suggested in a social media post that the protesters supported the terrorists responsible for the attack and wanted it to happen again. Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt has previously stated that a call for intifada is a call for violence against Israelis and Jews.
The protest also included incidents at Zuccotti Park, where an Israel supporter was taunted by about a dozen protesters, and confrontations between police and protesters who were ordered to stay behind barriers. Several smoke bombs were set off, and a Hezbollah flag was raised during the protest, according to video footage. Six people received summonses for disorderly conduct and jumping turnstiles, according to the NYPD.
That is not nearly enough. This went too far months ago; now it’s completely unbearable. There is literally nothing being done about these terrorist supporters in our midst. We assumed that as long as there was strong support for Israel from our leaders, that would be sufficient. Don’t give in to the tantrum, and it will eventually stop. That has proven false. The tantrum is escalating. It is only a matter of time before violence is used to get their way. How much longer before fireworks and smoke bombs turn into real bombs? These people worship at the feet of Hamas and Hezbollah, they chant “Long Live the Intifada,” and they are acting with impunity. Will we wait until there are scenes in New York reminiscent of the Second Intifada in the early 2000s before we act? If so, shame on us.
