Militia-Like Gangs Attacking Jews Across U.S., West

Militia-like pro-Palestinian gangs attack Jews across US, West - analysis

SETH J. FRANTZMAN 

Attacks on Jews from London to California now appear to be a series of systematic assaults by groups of far-right style pro-Palestinian men organized in militia-like groups. They have included convoys of cars calling on people to rape Jewish women and targeted attacks on Jews eating dinner or working in areas known to have high levels of Jews. This is not spontaneous or random, Jews have been targeted for two weeks under the guise of the war in Gaza.  

Here is what we know about some of the groups of men in militia-like targeted attacks on Jews across western countries. In Canada men went to Cote-Saint-Luc, where there is a sizable Jewish community, and yelled antisemitic comments. Two were arrested. The violence against Jews in Montreal appears not to have been covered well, but attackers were armed and sought out Jewish neighborhoods.

In Edmonton, reports say that men went to a Jewish area near Beth Israel Synagogue shouting “free Palestine” and seeking out Jews. They asked people “do any Jews live here.” People went to the west end of Edmonton also “seeking Jews,” according to reports.  

In New York City, the militias targeted the Diamond District where the JTA notes there are many Jewish-owned businesses. “One person was burned when two fireworks were thrown from a car.” Some American Jews feel the need to remove their kippahs or Star of David necklaces or even Mezuzahs.

While attacks on Jews are common in the US and New York in particular, there was a major rise. The types of incidents also point to a similar trend of young aggressive men riding around in cars seeking out and attacking Jews. It is different from the series of recent attacks on synagogues in Riverdale which was done before the conflict and for which one person was arrested and then released without needing to pay bail. Progressive Jewish activists said that having police protect Jews places of worship could be racist because Jews are “white.” That was before the recent series of attacks.

In another convoy of vehicles, the JTA story by Ben Sales says that “pro-Palestinian men in a caravan chased an Orthodox Jewish man.” The militias hunted down Joseph Borgen, who was wearing a kippah, and beat him in Manhattan. The article notes that “Waseem Awawdeh, 23, has been arrested in connection with the beating and charged with a hate crime, gang assault and other charges.”