September 18, 2025 | 08:52 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - On Wednesday, hundreds of Orthodox Jews staged a protest in New York City to condemn Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned attendance at the UN General Assembly next week.
Organized through the “Israel versus Judaism” website, the demonstration gathered participants in front of the Israeli Consulate building in Manhattan.
The protesters arrived by school buses, carrying banners with messages such as “Netanyahu and Ben Gvir: Enemy No. 1 of the Jewish people,” “Anti-Zionism is not Anti-Semitism,” and “Stop forcing Jews into the Zionist army.” A large sign behind the stage, where speeches were delivered in Yiddish, read: “Netanyahu: You do not speak for us.”
Rabbi David Feldman told Anadolu that one demonstrator expressed concern that Netanyahu’s visit to the United Nations would “mislead the world into thinking that he represents all Jews and that the actions he has taken are somehow forgiven by the Jewish religion.”
“Everything Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu stand for is in complete contradiction with Judaism and is a real source of shame for our people,” Feldman said.
Citing the Torah, he argued that true Judaism requires opposition to the state of Israel. “We are forbidden to wage war against or attack any nation. Returning to the holy land and mass migration are prohibited,” he added.
Referring to the situation in Gaza as “unacceptable,” Feldman expressed deep sorrow over the killings, land seizures, and oppression of the Palestinian people.
He emphasized that Jews around the world, not just in New York, oppose what Israel represents. “To be clear, we oppose not only the radical Netanyahu, but all forms of Zionism—moderate or extreme,” Feldman said.
The rabbi added that protests will continue when Netanyahu arrives in New York. The demonstrators later marched to the UN to conclude their demonstration.
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