A protest outside Park East Synagogue in Manhattan on the date of 2026-05-05 prompted condemnation from several New York officials after demonstrators gathered while the synagogue hosted the Great Israel Real Estate Event, an expo connected to property sales in Israel and, according to the available account, advertisements for settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The demonstration took place outside the synagogue on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in New York City. Jewish Insider reported that anti-Israel demonstrators assembled during the event and that some tried to push through a police cordon established around the site. The New York Police Department’s security perimeter was later praised by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, even as other officials raised concerns about both protest conduct and the effects of the police restrictions on people near the synagogue.
Mamdani had criticized the real estate event before and after the protest. His administration said it opposed the promotion of settlement property, describing such settlements as illegal under international law and tied to Palestinian displacement. At an unrelated press conference the following day, Mamdani said criticism of a government’s policies should be distinguished from bigotry against a religious group. He said he disagreed with an expo that included land sales in the occupied West Bank, while also stressing that safe access to houses of worship must be protected.
The mayor also defended the right to protest, calling it sacrosanct, but his office later disapproved of some conduct at the scene. A deputy press secretary said displays of support for terrorist organizations and antisemitic acts were unacceptable, adding that chants supporting terrorist groups or promoting violence had no place in the city.
Jewish Insider reported that protesters waved a Hezbollah flag, defaced images of the late Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson and used chants including “we don’t want no Zionists here,” “death to the IDF” and “we don’t want no two-state, we want ’48.” Those reported actions became a focus of criticism from other leading Democrats in New York.
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office said people should not face intimidation when entering a house of worship. Her spokesperson said protesters have First Amendment rights, but that hate-fueled antisemitic rhetoric has no place in New York. The statement also pointed to the administration’s support for legislation that would make it a felony to obstruct entryways to houses of worship during demonstrations.
Attorney General Letitia James also addressed the incident, saying New York must protect First Amendment rights while condemning hate, harassment and violence. City Council Speaker Julie Menin said she was disturbed by rhetoric heard outside the synagogue, including calls for Israel’s destruction and glorification of Hezbollah.
Menin also criticized aspects of the NYPD response, citing complaints that the cordon affected journalists, residents and people trying to attend the event. She said a recently passed Council law requiring the department to formalize rules for buffer zones would improve transparency in similar situations.
