Protesters organized by PAL-AWDA, a Palestinian advocacy group, planned to demonstrate Thursday evening outside the New York Hilton Midtown where a Jerusalem Real Estate Expo was underway in Manhattan. The protest, titled "Stop the Sale of Stolen Palestinian Land," targeted attendees and organizers of the event, which promoted Israeli property opportunities from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The demonstration comes as tensions between pro-Israel and anti-Israel groups have intensified across New York City. Earlier this week, Jewish and Muslim community leaders gathered outside Gracie Mansion to protest rising antisemitism and call on Mayor Zohran Mamdani to address the issue. Community advocates say the escalating protests are increasing pressure on the mayor, who faced scrutiny over his past participation in anti-Israel demonstrations before taking office.
What the Right Is Saying
Jewish community leaders and pro-Israel advocates say the protests cross into antisemitism. Critics point to imagery used in PAL-AWDA promotional materials featuring a map of modern-day Israel inside a keyhole symbol as symbolic of calls to eliminate the Jewish state. The groups have been accused of targeting synagogue events and harassing attendees, actions that Jewish organizations say endanger their communities.
"Jewish New Yorkers, beware," one warning circulated ahead of Thursday's protest read. Community leaders warn that protests targeting Jewish gatherings at houses of worship and community events create hostile environments for Jewish residents. Pro-Israel advocates argue the demonstrations amount to harassment rather than protected political speech, particularly when they target private events open to the public.
What the Left Is Saying
Palestinian advocacy groups frame their protests as resistance to what they describe as Israeli occupation and land displacement. PAL-AWDA, which organized Thursday's demonstration, advocates for Palestinian return to modern-day Israel and rejects a two-state solution, calling instead for Palestinian control of territory from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. The group has previously protested outside synagogues in Queens and Manhattan's Upper East Side, arguing that Jewish community events in New York normalize Israeli policies.
Protest participant Anas Shuaib, 27, told Fox News Digital: "I will be at the Hilton event to stop land theft of Palestinian land and expose Zionist control of America." The group describes the expo as an "illegal land expo and settler recruitment fair" featuring the "Mayor of Jerusalem," using quotation marks around the mayor's title. PAL-AWDA operates alongside Within Our Lifetime, led by co-founder Nerdeen Kiswani, and the Muslim American Society's New York chapter, led by Abdullah Akl.
What the Numbers Show
PAL-AWDA New York and New Jersey chapter has organized multiple protests targeting Jewish and pro-Israel gatherings in recent weeks, including demonstrations outside a Queens synagogue two weeks ago. The group advocates for dismantling the state of Israel, according to its stated positions. Mayor Mamdani was a founding member of his college's Students for Justice in Palestine chapter, which also seeks Palestinian return to modern-day Israel.
These activist groups have worked with left-leaning organizations that organized anti-Israel protests and student encampments nationwide, including the People's Forum, ANSWER Coalition, and Party for Socialism and Liberation. Fox News has reported that these groups received funding from Neville Roy Singham, an American tech investor living in Shanghai who supports the Chinese Communist Party.
The Bottom Line
The protest highlights ongoing tensions between pro-Israel and anti-Israel demonstrators in New York City as community leaders seek mayoral intervention. Mayor Mamdani faces pressure from both Jewish and Muslim constituents concerned about antisemitism and free expression. Whether Thursday's demonstration proceeds as planned and how city officials respond will likely shape the trajectory of these competing claims in the weeks ahead.