Latest news with #Chabad-Lubavitch
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Itamar Ben-Gvir: Israeli minister called 'war criminal' in extraordinary row with protesters during US visit
An Israeli minister has been called a "war criminal" in an extraordinary row with protesters inside the US Capitol. Itamar Ben-Gvir travelled to Washington on Tuesday, where he met with a series of members of Congress as part of a wider trip to the country. But between meetings, he was confronted by pro-Palestinian protesters who called him a "war criminal", "responsible for genocide" and a "racist pig". The ultranationalist settler leader responded by telling the protesters: "You kill baby!" Mr Ben-Gvir, a far-right politician who was once on the fringes of Israeli politics and wants to intensify the war in Gaza, shouted at the protesters again in a fiery back-and-forth. "You are supposed to be in the Hague," the protester says in videos of the confrontation at one point - referring to for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant. Mr Ben-Gvir's trip to the US was met with protests elsewhere too, with a man hiding in a bathroom for two hours at a Manhattan steakhouse just to jump out on him and shout: "Get the f*** out of New York!" Who is Ben-Gvir? A hard-line supporter of Jewish settlements, Mr Ben-Gvir was previously convicted in Israel of racist incitement and support for terrorist groups. He has called for the deportation of all Arab citizens from Israel and, for years, hung a picture in his home of a man who massacred more than two dozen Muslim worshippers. Mr Ben-Gvir also visited the headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in Brooklyn, where he was greeted by scores more protesters who waved Palestinian flags. 'They threatened to rape me' During this visit, a Brooklyn woman was left fearing for her life after a mob of orthodox Jews mistook her for a protester and kicked her, spat on her, pelted her with objects and chased her. The assault was recorded on camera by bystanders. The woman, a local in her 30s, only came outside after hearing police helicopters and not wanting to be filmed, she covered her face with a scarf. "As soon as I pulled up my scarf, a group of 100 men came over immediately and encircled me," said the woman. "They were shouting at me, threatening to rape me, chanting 'death to Arabs'. I thought the police would protect me from the mob, but they did nothing to intervene," she added. As the chants grew, a lone police officer intervened to try to escort her to safety, but they were followed by hundreds of men shouting in Hebrew and English. "This is America," one of the men can be heard saying. "We got Israel. We got an army now." Eventually, the officer got her into a police vehicle and drove her away. A police spokesperson said one person was arrested and five others were issued summons following the protests. However, it wasn't clear whether this included anyone involved in assaulting the woman. A Chabad-Lubavitch spokesman, Rabbi Motti Seligson, denounced both the anti-Ben-Gvir protesters and the mob that chased the woman. 'I responded!' In response to the protests that dogged Mr Ben-Gvir during his trip, he took to social media to share an image of himself in the Capitol. He said: "Between meetings, several pro-Palestinian protesters began shouting pro-Hamas and Gaza slogans at me. "I responded by saying that they were supporting the murderers, just like on 9/11 - we will defeat them!" Meanwhile, within Gaza, Israel's total blockade of aid into the enclave has entered its second month, with the UN's food agency warning . So far this week, the bodies of 51 people killed and 113 injured were brought to hospitals in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Read more from Sky News: There has also been in recent weeks - as since Israeli troops killed 15 aid workers.
Sky News
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Itamar Ben-Gvir: Israeli minister called 'war criminal' in extraordinary row with protesters during US visit
An Israeli minister has been called a "war criminal" in an extraordinary row with protesters inside the US Capitol. Itamar Ben-Gvir travelled to Washington on Tuesday, where he met with a series of members of Congress as part of a wider trip to the country. But between meetings, he was confronted by pro-Palestinian protesters who called him a "war criminal", "responsible for genocide" and a "racist pig". The ultranationalist settler leader responded by telling the protesters: "You kill baby!" Mr Ben-Gvir, a far-right politician who was once on the fringes of Israeli politics and wants to intensify the war in Gaza, shouted at the protesters again in a fiery back-and-forth. "You are supposed to be in the Hague," the protester says in videos of the confrontation at one point - referring to International Criminal Court warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant. Mr Ben-Gvir's trip to the US was met with protests elsewhere too, with a man hiding in a bathroom for two hours at a Manhattan steakhouse just to jump out on him and shout: "Get the f*** out of New York!" Who is Ben-Gvir? A hard-line supporter of Jewish settlements, Mr Ben-Gvir was previously convicted in Israel of racist incitement and support for terrorist groups. He has called for the deportation of all Arab citizens from Israel and, for years, hung a picture in his home of a man who massacred more than two dozen Muslim worshippers. Mr Ben-Gvir also visited the headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in Brooklyn, where he was greeted by scores more protesters who waved Palestinian flags. 'They threatened to rape me' During this visit, a Brooklyn woman was left fearing for her life after a mob of orthodox Jews mistook her for a protester and kicked her, spat on her, pelted her with objects and chased her. The assault was recorded on camera by bystanders. The woman, a local in her 30s, only came outside after hearing police helicopters and not wanting to be filmed, she covered her face with a scarf. "As soon as I pulled up my scarf, a group of 100 men came over immediately and encircled me," said the woman. "They were shouting at me, threatening to rape me, chanting 'death to Arabs'. I thought the police would protect me from the mob, but they did nothing to intervene," she added. As the chants grew, a lone police officer intervened to try to escort her to safety, but they were followed by hundreds of men shouting in Hebrew and English. "This is America," one of the men can be heard saying. "We got Israel. We got an army now." Eventually, the officer got her into a police vehicle and drove her away. A police spokesperson said one person was arrested and five others were issued summons following the protests. However, it wasn't clear whether this included anyone involved in assaulting the woman. A Chabad-Lubavitch spokesman, Rabbi Motti Seligson, denounced both the anti-Ben-Gvir protesters and the mob that chased the woman. 'I responded!' In response to the protests that dogged Mr Ben-Gvir during his trip, he took to social media to share an image of himself in the Capitol. He said: "Between meetings, several pro-Palestinian protesters began shouting pro-Hamas and Gaza slogans at me. "I responded by saying that they were supporting the murderers, just like on 9/11 - we will defeat them!" Meanwhile, within Gaza, Israel's total blockade of aid into the enclave has entered its second month, with the UN's food agency warning its stocks of food had now run out. So far this week, the bodies of 51 people killed and 113 injured were brought to hospitals in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
The National
28-04-2025
- Politics
- The National
Mob chased Brooklyn woman after mistaking her for protester against Israeli security minister
A Brooklyn woman said she feared for her life as she was chased, kicked, spat at and pelted with objects by a mob of Orthodox Jewish men who mistook her as protester against Israel 's far-right security minister. The assault, recorded by a bystander, unfolded late on April 24 near the global headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in Crown Heights, where an appearance by Itamar Ben-Gvir set off clashes between pro-Palestinian activists and members of the neighbourhood's large Orthodox Jewish community. The woman, a neighbourhood resident in her 30s, told the Associated Press she learnt of the protest after hearing police helicopters over her apartment. She walked over to investigate around 10.30pm but by then the protest had mostly dispersed. Not wanting to be filmed, she covered her face with a scarf. 'As soon as I pulled up my scarf, a group of 100 men came over immediately and encircled me,' said the woman, who spoke to AP on the condition of anonymity because she feared for her safety. 'They were shouting at me, threatening to rape me, chanting 'death to Arabs.' I thought the police would protect me from the mob, but they did nothing to intervene,' she said. As the chants grew in intensity, a lone police officer tried to escort her to safety. They were followed for blocks by hundreds of men and boys jeering in Hebrew and English. Video shows two of the men kicking her in the back, another hurling a traffic cone into her head and a fourth pushing a bin into her. 'This is America,' one of the men can be heard saying. 'We got Israel. We got an army now.' At one point, she and the police officer were nearly cornered against a building, the video shows. 'I felt sheer terror,' the woman recalled. 'I realised at that point that I couldn't lead this mob of men to my home. I had nowhere to go. I didn't know what to do. I was just terrified.' After several blocks, the officer hustled the woman into a police vehicle, prompting one man to yell, 'Get her.' The crowd erupted in cheers as she was driven away. The woman, a lifelong New Yorker, said she was left with bruises and mentally shaken by the episode, which she said police should investigate as an act of hate. 'I'm afraid to move around the neighbourhood where I've lived for a decade,' she told the AP. 'It doesn't seem like anyone in any position of power really cares.' A police official said one person was arrested and five others were issued summons following the demonstration, but did not say whether anyone involved in assaulting the woman was charged. New York's Mayor Eric Adams said on Sunday that police were investigating 'a series of incidents stemming from clashing protests on Thursday'. He said police had spoken to a different woman on the pro-Palestinian side of the protest who suffered injuries after she was harassed by counter-protesters. Photos shared online showed that woman with blood streaming down her face. 'Let me be clear: None of this is acceptable, in fact, it is despicable,' Adams added. 'New York City will always be a place where people can peacefully protest, but we will not tolerate violence, trespassing, menacing, or threatening.' A Chabad-Lubavitch spokesman, Rabbi Motti Seligson, denounced both the anti-Ben-Gvir protesters and the mob that chased the woman. The protest was one of several in recent days against Mr Ben-Gvir, an ultranationalist settler leader who is embarking on his first US state visit since joining Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's cabinet three years ago.
Daily Mail
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Woman chased down by mob of Orthodox Jews after she was mistaken for anti-Israeli protester
A Brooklyn woman said she was left terrified after being chased and stoned by a mob of Orthodox Jewish men who mistook her for an anti-Israeli protestor. The woman, who remained anonymous over fears for her safety, told the Associated Press she was afraid for her life when she was set upon by the mob on Thursday night near the global headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. The chaos unfolded after Israel 's hardline security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir gave a speech at the headquarters, which was met with furious protests outside the building. One other woman was reportedly left bloodied in the clashes outside alongside an anti-Israeli Orthodox Jewish man, who was seen in footage shared to social media being shoved to the ground by other Orthodox Jewish men. Later in the evening, the woman who was chased by the mob said she was mistaken for one of the demonstrators as scenes on the Brooklyn street turned ugly. She said she was unaware of the protests near her apartment in the Crown Heights neighborhood of the New York City borough until she heard police helicopters flying overhead. After walking over to investigate at around 10:30pm, she said she covered her face with a scarf to avoid being filmed at the event, but the move sparked fury from the mob. 'As soon as I pulled up my scarf, a group of 100 men came over immediately and encircled me,' she said. Recalling the terrifying moment the mob pounced on her, the woman said: 'They were shouting at me, threatening to rape me, chanting 'death to Arabs.' 'I thought the police would protect me from the mob, but they did nothing to intervene.' A lone police officer was seen escorting her from the danger, and they were reportedly followed for several blocks by the gang of men. Video shows two of the men kicking her in the back, another hurling a traffic cone into her head and a fourth pushing a trash can into her. 'This is America,' one of the men can be heard saying. 'We got Israel. We got an Army now.' At one point, she and the police officer were nearly cornered against a building, the video shows. 'I felt sheer terror,' the woman recalled. 'I realized at that point that I couldn't lead this mob of men to my home. I had nowhere to go. I didn't know what to do. I was just terrified.' The crowd later erupted in cheers as she was helped into a police vehicle and driven away from the scene, with one man heard yelling 'get her' as she was bundled into the car. View this post on Instagram A post shared by LPC (@landpalestine) 'I'm afraid to move around the neighborhood where I've lived for a decade,' she said after the encounter. 'It doesn't seem like anyone in any position of power really cares.' The Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters previously made headlines last year when footage swept social media showing Orthodox Jewish members emerging from a tunnel they had built under the building. Following the clash on Thursday night, a police spokesperson told AP that one person was arrested and five people were issued summons, but did not say if anyone involved in harassing the woman was charged. Mayor Eric Adams said Sunday that police were investigating 'a series of incidents stemming from clashing protests on Thursday that began when a group of anti-Israel protesters surrounded the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters — a Jewish house of worship — in Brooklyn.' He said police had spoken to a different woman on the pro-Palestinian side of the protest who suffered injuries after she was harassed by counter protesters. Photos shared online showed that woman with blood streaming down her face, although she has not been identified. Adams said: 'Let me be clear: None of this is acceptable, in fact, it is despicable. 'New York City will always be a place where people can peacefully protest, but we will not tolerate violence, trespassing, menacing, or threatening.' In a statement from Rabbi Motti Seligson, a spokesperson for Chabad Lubavitch, the group denounced the mob that chased the woman as well as the demonstrations against Ben-Gvir. 'The violent provocateurs who called for the genocide of Jews in support of terrorists and terrorism — outside a synagogue, in a Jewish neighborhood, where some of the worst antisemitic violence in American history was perpetrated, and where many residents share deep bonds with the victims of Oct. 7 — did so in order to intimidate, provoke, and instill fear,' he said. 'We condemn the crude language and violence of the small breakaway group of young people; such actions are entirely unacceptable and wholly antithetical to the Torah's values. 'The fact that a possibly uninvolved bystander got pulled into the melee further underscores the point.'
Los Angeles Times
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Mob chased Brooklyn woman after mistaking her for protester at speech by Israeli security minister
NEW YORK — A Brooklyn woman said she feared for her life as she was chased, kicked, spit at and pelted with objects by a mob of Orthodox Jewish men who mistook her for a participant in a protest against Israel's far-right security minister. The assault, recorded by a bystander, unfolded Thursday near the global headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in Crown Heights, where an appearance by Itamar Ben-Gvir set off clashes between pro-Palestinian activists and members of the neighborhood's large Orthodox Jewish community. The woman, a neighborhood resident in her 30s, told the Associated Press she learned of the protest after hearing police helicopters over her apartment. She walked over to investigate around 10:30 p.m. but by then the protest had mostly dispersed. Not wanting to be filmed, she covered her face with a scarf. 'As soon as I pulled up my scarf, a group of 100 men came over immediately and encircled me,' said the woman, who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because she feared for her safety. 'They were shouting at me, threatening to rape me, chanting 'death to Arabs.' I thought the police would protect me from the mob, but they did nothing to intervene,' she said. As the chants grew in intensity, a lone police officer tried to escort her to safety. They were followed for blocks by hundreds of men and boys jeering in Hebrew and English. Video shows two of the men kicking her in the back, another hurling a traffic cone into her head and a fourth pushing a trash can into her. 'This is America,' one of the men can be heard saying. 'We got Israel. We got an army now.' At one point, she and the police officer were nearly cornered against a building, the video shows. 'I felt sheer terror,' the woman recalled. 'I realized at that point that I couldn't lead this mob of men to my home. I had nowhere to go. I didn't know what to do. I was just terrified.' After several blocks, the officer hustled the woman into a police vehicle, prompting one man to yell, 'Get her!' The crowd erupted in cheers as she was driven away. The woman, a lifelong New Yorker, said she was left with bruises and mentally shaken by the episode, which she said police should investigate as an act of hate. 'I'm afraid to move around the neighborhood where I've lived for a decade,' she told the AP. 'It doesn't seem like anyone in any position of power really cares.' A police spokesperson said one person was arrested and five others were issued summons following the demonstration, but did not say whether anyone involved in assaulting the woman was charged. Mayor Eric Adams said Sunday that police were investigating 'a series of incidents stemming from clashing protests on Thursday that began when a group of anti-Israel protesters surrounded the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters — a Jewish house of worship — in Brooklyn.' He said police had spoken to a different woman on the pro-Palestinian side of the protest who suffered injuries after she was harassed by counterprotesters. Photos shared online showed that woman with blood streaming down her face. 'Let me be clear: None of this is acceptable, in fact, it is despicable,' Adams added. 'New York City will always be a place where people can peacefully protest, but we will not tolerate violence, trespassing, menacing, or threatening.' The protest was one of several in recent days against Ben-Gvir, an ultranationalist settler leader who is embarking on his first U.S. state visit since joining Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Cabinet three years ago. Previously convicted in Israel of racist incitement and support for a terrorist group, he has called on his supporters to confront Palestinians and assert 'Jewish Power.' The protest against Ben-Gvir's Brooklyn appearance generated condemnations from some Jewish groups, who accused participants of targeting a religious site. The neighborhood around the Chabad headquarters was the site of the 1991 Crown Heights riot, in which Black residents outraged by a boy's death in a crash involving a rabbi's motorcade attacked Jews, homes and businesses for three days. A Chabad-Lubavitch spokesman, Rabbi Motti Seligson, denounced both the anti-Ben-Gvir protesters and the mob that chased the woman. 'The violent provocateurs who called for the genocide of Jews in support of terrorists and terrorism — outside a synagogue, in a Jewish neighborhood, where some of the worst antisemitic violence in American history was perpetrated, and where many residents share deep bonds with the victims of Oct. 7 — did so in order to intimidate, provoke, and instill fear,' Seligson said. 'We condemn the crude language and violence of the small breakaway group of young people; such actions are entirely unacceptable and wholly antithetical to the Torah's values. The fact that a possibly uninvolved bystander got pulled into the melee further underscores the point,' he said. Offenhartz writes for the Associated Press.
