The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) was one of the locations in the U.S. where anti-Israel protestors gathered on April 15 in an effort to “disrupt the global economy.” Several of the nationwide protests disrupted traffic, some in locations close to home such as the Brooklyn Bridge and others across the country at the Golden Gate Bridge.
At the protest outside of the NYSE, hundreds of anti-Israel protestors gathered, screaming messages of hate such as “Israel is a terrorist state.” A video of the protestors burning an American flag and shouting “Death to America” was being circulated on social media following the protest.
A much smaller group of Israel supporters showed up to counter-protest with Israeli and American flags, chanting “USA” and “Bring them Home.”
The protest was not entirely peaceful, with several scuffles breaking out between the two sides.
Speaking to The Jewish Link, Israel supporter Josh Rosenthal said, “The reality is that we have a bunch of savages here who hate America and Israel. I’m an American Jew. I lived in Israel. So I need to be here to support America which my grandfather and my father fought for, for our right to freedom and to also be here for my people of Israel.”
Bill Schulder of Lincoln Square Synagogue stated, “This whole issue is not about Palestine or Palestinians. It’s about Hamas, which is a terrorist organization. It’s been around for years funded by Iran who tried to attack Israel with 300+ drone missiles the other night, and Hamas has to be defeated so that the Gazans can live their lives as normal people in a prosperous society.”
With Pesach almost here, bringing home the hostages was at the forefront of the minds and hearts of all the Jewish counter-protestors gathered.
As Stephanie Benshimol told The Jewish Link, “I’m here today to mark day 192 of 133 people being held by Hamas terrorists, and also today it’s about the Americans. Everybody is holding American and Israeli flags … we want everybody to come home. Please Hashem, there should be a miracle before Pesach. We need all of our brothers and sisters home now!”
Judith Falk is the creator of the Upper West Side Shtetl Facebook group. You can follow her on instagram @upperwestsideshtetl. She is a lawyer by day and a former legal reporter.
