A group of pro-Israel protesters celebrated outside the Israeli consulate in New York City on Monday while being shouted at by pro-Palestinian activists.
The NYPD used metal barriers to separate the two factions and kept them on separate sides of the street to avoid violent clashes during the heated exchange.
Dozens of armed officers stood between the two corrals as passing motorists honked in apparent support of the Jewish cause.
The scene bore a striking resemblance to the chaotic demonstration in Times Square on Sunday, in which one protester brandished a swastika.
At dawn on Saturday, Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, killing hundreds and taking dozens hostage.
A group of pro-Israel protesters celebrated outside the Israeli consulate in New York City on Monday while being shouted at by pro-Palestinian activists
Hundreds of demonstrators clashed outside the Israeli embassy in Manhattan on Monday
The two sides were separated by metal barriers and forced to stand on opposite sides of the street
Pro-Israel protesters demanded: “Go back to Gaza,” while pro-Palestinian protesters responded: “Settlers, settlers, go back home, Palestine is ours alone.”
Protesters lined 2nd Avenue, holding signs and chanting. On the pro-Israel side of the protest, demonstrators waved the national flag – and clashed with a driver.
The driver waved a Palestinian flag through his front window as protesters shouted, “How is Gaza now?” and “Go back to Gaza!”
Pro-Palestine protesters on the other side of the block shouted back: “Settlers, settlers, go back home, Palestine is ours alone.”
They also shouted slogans such as: “Netanyahu, what are you saying, how many children are you going to kill today?” while beating drums.
Protesters lined 2nd Avenue, holding signs, waving flags and chanting
On the pro-Israel side of the protest, demonstrators waved the national flag
Protesters supporting Palestine shouted: “Netanyahu, what are you saying, how many children are you going to kill today?” as they beat drums
“I’m so proud of how many people are coming.” “It makes me feel like I’m on the right side of history,” said a pro-Palestine protester
The same protester said violence was not a new phenomenon and asked Israelis for compassion “because my friends are also missing and I can’t find them.”
Hamas said it was holding “dozens” of prisoners in the Gaza Strip, and the Israeli military later confirmed that hostages had been taken
A 21-year-old student named Chabad brought a powerful loudspeaker to the protest and played dance music.
This prompted several Jews to perform the Am Yisrael Chai – a religious celebratory dance – amid an otherwise heated protest.
“The rabbi says if you want to win something in life, you have to be very positive,” Chabad told . “This means that just one small round can remove a lot of dark things.”
“We try to be happy because all the terrorists want from us is sad and they want us to be depressed.”
“So we’re not going to let them win, this is a moral war.” “We want to win the war, so we have to be happy,” explained the Montreal native.
“We all have relatives in the military, it’s not going to stop, we might as well be happy.”
He added: “It is a very difficult time, it is not easy, but that is all we can do. ‘We are waiting for the coming of the Messiah.’
Amid the rising tensions, several Jews performed the Am Yisrael Chai, a religious celebratory dance, to music
At a pro-Palestinian rally opposite the Israeli Consulate General, demonstrators shouted slogans
They campaigned for the release of Palestinian prisoners from the Israeli-controlled West Bank
The Hamas attack on Israel came at a time of rising tensions, as 2023 was the deadliest year on record for Palestine
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared war but warned his people that “this war will take time.” It will be hard’
As of Monday morning, at least 560 Palestinians had died in the Israeli counteroffensive
The energy was just as high on the other side of the street, where 20-year-old Rifal took part in the protest wearing a headscarf and face covering.
She said she joined the Pro-Palestine Foundation to “stand in solidarity” with her missing friends in Gaza.
“I have a lot of friends on the ground in Palestine and I have been there,” the New Yorker told .
“I’m so proud of how many people are coming. It makes me feel like I’m on the right side of history.”
Of the violence that erupted over the weekend, Rifal said: “If you have read up on the occupation and watched videos over the years, you know that this is not a new event.”
“I sympathize with them (Israelis) on an individual level, yes, but I was in Palestine and my friends there go through similar things every day.”
The protester added that during her last visit to the country she was “strip-searched and humiliated for no reason” by Israeli forces.
She pleaded with Israelis for compassion “because my friends are also missing and I can’t find them.”
Officials confirmed Monday that at least 900 Israelis had been killed and more than 2,000 wounded
A 20-year-old protester named Rifal said she joined the Pro-Palestine Foundation to “stand in solidarity” with her missing friends in Gaza
The scenes of clashing protesters mirrored Sunday’s demonstration in Times Square, where one participant held up a swastika to a group of Jewish people
The NYPD was forced to physically separate some of the protesters
The Gaza Strip-ruling militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Saturday, firing rockets and invading the border
Days later, people gathered outside the Israeli mission in Manhattan to protest opposing views on the war
The Gaza Strip-ruling militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Saturday, firing rockets into Israel as hundreds of fighters infiltrated the border.
The country was surprised by a major holiday called Simchat Torah, when Jews complete the annual cycle of reading the Torah scroll.
Gunmen entered towns and communities outside the Gaza Strip and shot civilians and IDF soldiers.
More than 250 people who attended a music festival in southern Israel were shot dead, their bodies lying strewn in the dirt.
At dawn on Saturday, gunmen entered towns and cities outside the Gaza Strip, shooting at civilians and IDF soldiers
Hamas fighters breached the heavily guarded border by land, sea and air
The attack led to ongoing Israeli retaliatory strikes on Gaza, killing hundreds
Hamas is an Islamist militant movement and one of the two major political parties in the Palestinian territories
The group governs more than two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip
Demonstrators on both sides called for an end to the war and peace for all
Among the festival attendees was Shani Louk, a tattoo artist who was born in Israel but had a German passport.
Her name began circulating on social media when her body was allegedly paraded in the back of a truck under the boots of Hamas fighters.
Israeli officials confirmed Monday that at least 900 Israeli civilians and soldiers were killed and more than 2,000 were injured.
Hamas said it was holding “dozens” of prisoners in the Gaza Strip, which the Israeli military later confirmed, but did not provide details on the number of hostages.
In a televised address on Saturday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, declaring the country was at war, said the military would use all its strength to confront Hamas and warned: “This war will take time.” It will be difficult. ‘
According to Palestinian health authorities, at least 560 Palestinians had been killed and another 2,900 injured in the Israeli counteroffensive as of Monday morning.