I am writing about the menacing anti-Israel and antisemitic demonstration that took place a few weeks ago in Bergenfield.
The woman stood about eight feet from me. Her eyes glared at me from the small gap in her black burka, which otherwise covered her head and body. She chanted, over and over, “Nasrallah, we love you.” Her threatening stance was only slightly diminished by the incongruous sight of the word Lululemon printed repeatedly on the handbag strap that crossed her chest. Surrounding her were other women similarly attired, many men wearing keffiyehs covering their faces up to their eyes, and Neturei Karta men and boys carrying the massive screen-free cellphones of 30 years ago. I stood in front of my neighbor’s home, on what is usually a quiet side street in Bergenfield, with other residents of our block, many of whom could be visually identified as Jews. We carried American and Israeli flags; we mostly faced the mob silently.
I am not fluent in the Bergenfield rules and regulations that govern late night protests in residential neighborhoods. The Bergenfield city authorities had over a day’s notice to prepare for this “protest,” but no one prevented it from happening. These people were unequivocal in their support of killing Jews and destroying Medinat Yisrael. Based on what they yelled, how they looked at us, the posters they carried and the intentional masking of their identities, their behavior was menacing, and possibly meets the New Jersey legal definition of assault. I call upon the Bergenfield city authorities to take the steps necessary to ensure that this kind of disturbance never reoccurs.
