Against Backdrop of 207% Increase in Anti-Semitic Hate Crimes in NYC, SWC Denounces Palestinian Protest Calling For “Eradication of Zionism”

April 19, 2022

New York, NY - The Simon Wiesenthal Center called on New York City authorities to take immediate action against a potentially violent Palestinian protest tomorrow in front of the Israeli Mission to the United Nations in Manhattan that incites against Jews and Israel.

A flier being distributed on social media sponsored by several Palestinian organizations calls for “the eradication of Zionism and Liberation by any means.”

“This is not just a protest, this is the language of incitement that had led to violent threats and bloodshed against Jews in Europe, and North America, including New York and Los Angeles as a result of the export of the genocidal anti-Jewish rhetoric promoted on social media last May,” said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, SWC’s  Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action, emphasizing  that the NYPD has confirmed that hate crimes targeting Jews are already skyrocketing in New York City - up 207% year to date over last year.

“Therefore, we urge New York officials to take steps to ensure this terrorist-inspired protest is not allowed to go forward which would incite further violence against the Jewish community,’’ Cooper stated.

Cooper explained that the planned protest is part of a global effort to demonize Israel and the Jewish People and noted that this year the date coincides with both Passover and Ramadan. In addition, April 20 is the day that neo-Nazis, white nationalists, and other Jew haters celebrate the birthday of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, responsible for the systematic government-sponsored murder of more than six million Jews during the World War II Nazi Holocaust.
 
While acknowledging potential concerns about freedom of speech, Cooper emphasized that “this is a new dynamic, and these protesters are echoing the genocidal agenda of terrorist Hamas, and the Iranian regime who call for the destruction of the Jewish State.”  

The protest is being called for in Midtown Manhattan at rush hour, a potential public safety concern, he added.  Protest organizers include Samidoun, the Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, the Palestinian Youth Movement and Within Our Lifetime.  

For further information contact the Center’s Communications department at pressinquiries@wiesenthal.com, join the Center on Facebook, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent directly to your Twitter feed.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).