Picture I took at the protest, while pro-Palestine protestors were chanting "go back to Europe!"
The protest in front of my synagogue I wrote about in my last article just ended. Here are my top takeaways from the protest that I believe very strongly reflect on the broader pro-Palestine movement:
Pro-Palestine Protestors Are Ashamed
Out of all the pro-Palestine protestors, probably about half of them were wearing a mask or some other form of face covering. The organizers of the protest themselves recommended protestors wear masks so as not to be identified. By contrast, not a single pro-Israel counter-demonstrator wore a mask. The conclusion is obvious: they're ashamed and afraid. Out of the pro-Israel demonstrators, multiple had volunteered for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Not a single pro-Palestinian protestor was able to proudly stand up and say that they actually served for any Palestinian terrorist group. These people are cowardly. I attended the protest with no mask or covering, proudly lifting up my head as a Zionist and a Jew. They could not do the same.
They Openly Support Terror
This perhaps explains why they're so ashamed of themselves. So many of the protestors openly supported terrorist activities perpetrated by Hamas. "F*ck your hostages" was a cry chanted by many of them. No justifications were given. With a cold heart they refuse to accept that taking 253 civilians, including women, children, and the elderly, is an evil act of terror. On the contrary, they support it. They cheered the name of Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader who was the architect behind the October 7th attacks. There were no reservations about it. They support terror.
Anti-Semitism is Pervasive
Constantly, we heard chants of "go back to Europe," completely denying the ancient history of the Jewish people's origin in the Land of Israel. Advertising trucks with screens displaying the message "Israel is the new Nazi Germany" passed in front of my house, of course ignoring the fact that a Holocaust survivor was murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7th. They constantly chanted "you are baby killers," repeating the new version of the classic blood libel, which has unfortunately gained so much traction. This is all not to mention the fact that they believed the most effective place to protest was in front of a synagogue. Pro-Palestine movements often claim to separate anti-Zionism from anti-Semitism. This protest proves that that is never actually the case. This protest was not just against Israel, but was obviously and unapologetically against the Jewish people.
Me, front row, second from left, at the protest, disappointed by the anti-Semitic chants of pro-Palestine protestors. (Credit: Scott Fallon, NorthJersey.com)
They Do Not Want Peace
One of the most interesting moments of the protest happened before I even got there. As I was walking to the synagogue to participate in the counter-demonstration, I saw a pro-Palestine protestor walking up the road, leaving the protest, and a pro-Israel counter-demonstrator walking towards the protest. The pro-Palestine protestor shouted out to the counter-demonstrator "Free Palestine!" Instead of responding venomously, the counter-demonstrator responded "As-Salaam Alaykum," peace be upon you, in Arabic. The protestor was left speechless. The protestors were there to antagonize and create strife. On the other hand, pro-Israel advocates want nothing but to create peace.
Conclusion
This protest is representative of the broader pro-Palestine movement. Pro-Palestinian activists often support, or at the very least sympathize with terror, have extremely anti-Semitic views, and just try to antagonize and start fights. Most notably, they're afraid. They know that their views are extremist and radicalized, and they know that they can't actually express themselves without having to hide themselves. These are cowardly, anti-Semitic, terror-supporting people, and they need to be recognized as such.