It was as low as it gets.
A group of individuals identifying themselves as pro-Palestine demonstrators gathered outside a Queens synagogue last week in the heavily Jewish neighborhood of Kew Gardens Hills on Thursday, and decided to unleash a cruel, evil chant.
“Say it loud, say it clear, we support Hamas here,” the demonstrators yelled at the Yeshiva of Central Queens synagogue. They came, purportedly, to protest land sales in the West Bank. And yet they chose this time and location to voice support for the terrorist organization behind the horrific Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in Israel that killed more than 1,200 people, left hundreds more held hostage, and plunged the region into war.
These protesters knew exactly what they were doing. It was an ignorant, shameful display to draw attention to themselves and inflict fear upon a neighborhood and a people already rattled by years of increased antisemitism.
In our view, such a deliberate act of antisemitism should be considered a hate crime; it is not free speech to come into a Jewish neighborhood and shout a chant in support of a terrorist group dedicated to killing Jews and eradicating Israel. It is a flagrant abuse of free speech rights that advances no cause and only inflicts more harm, more anxiety, and more hatred.
And let’s be clear: It would be just as awful if a group of people went into a predominantly Muslim, Catholic, Hindu, or Sikh neighborhood and chanted support for that faith’s eradication. No one deserves to be exposed to such ugliness; no one should have to live in fear.
This is why New York City needs to have zero tolerance for antisemitism and other forms of hate in our midst. This is why Mayor Zohran Mamdani must do more than condemn the protesters responsible for such ugly displays and the words they used.
This is why Mayor Mamdani must hold firm to an executive order he signed, replacing a similar order from former Mayor Eric Adams, that directs the NYPD to institute ways to protect synagogues, churches, temples and other houses of worship from protesters.
We do not expect Mayor Mamdani to change his views on Palestine; he has made that abundantly clear.
But as the mayor of New York, we do expect him to fulfill his repeated pledges to do everything in his power to stop antisemitism and protect Jewish New Yorkers and all others, regardless of their faith. One of the biggest steps he can take is to let the NYPD do more to protect shuls and temples from hateful individuals who are there to provoke and inflame tensions, rather than advocate for peace.
And to the ignorant protesters who dared to despicably voice support for Hamas: Sit out future protests. No one needs to hear your hate.
