A Jewish man was allegedly punched in the face at a Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement rally in New York City on Wednesday, NGO StopAntisemitism claimed on Thursday.
Matt Green, who was reportedly holding an Israeli flag at the time he was allegedly assaulted, was according to SopAntisemitism at the “emergency rally to support Palestinian resistance and liberation by any means necessary” organized by Within Our Lifetime (WOL) and the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM).
Green filed a report with the police, said StopAntisemitism. The NGO claimed to have identified the attacker, and told The Jerusalem Post that it was working with the New York Police Department on the issue.
THREAD: this is the result of "globalize the intifada" - attacks on Jews like Matt Green who was physically assaulted at yesterday's 'Within Our Lifetime' rally in NYC!Green was peacefully standing w/the Israeli flag when he was punched in the face by the man on the right. pic.twitter.com/QREJb5sA4b
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) April 21, 2022
Previous rallies organized by WOL and its leader Nerdeen Kiswani had called to "Globalize the Intifada," and in the advertisement for the Wednesday protest said that “Zionism has no place in Palestine and it must be eradicated to achieve full liberation,” and that liberation should come "by any means necessary.”
“We are not surprised that this rally was stained by violence given that it was coordinated by StopAntisemitism’s Antisemite of the Year Nerdeen Kiswani," said Liora Rez, Executive Director of StopAntisemitism.
"This is the result of 'globalize the intifada' — Attacks on Jews like Matt Green who was physically assaulted at yesterday's 'Within Our Lifetime' rally in NYC!" tweeted StopAntisemitism.
The NGO said to "note the ad's language," and reminded that they had warned prior to the protest that WOL's event poster promoted "violence against the Jewish people. This isn’t free speech but pure incitement to violence and must be stopped immediately."
WOL praised those that had taken part in the event to stand "in support of the brave Palestinian resistance, reminding the world that colonized people have the right to resist 'by any means necessary.'"
WOL made no mention of StopAntisemitism's allegations, but claimed that they faced opposition "from the NYPD, who trains with the IOF [IDF] and sent dozens of cops... to intimidate us, surveil us and stifle our calls for justice."
The event was organized to support Palestinians who clashed with police on the Temple Mount, throwing firebombs and stones, and barricading themselves in mosques during riots.
The organizers decried Israeli security forces’ operations to quell riots claiming that “hundreds of Palestinians continue to be attacked, shot at, beaten, and prevented from worshiping by Zionist occupation forces. Christians and Muslims alike are risking their lives just to be able to worship.”
"By skewing the facts about the rioting erupting at the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem following a series of terrorist attacks against Israeli Jews over the last few weeks, these groups are complicit in a misinformation smear campaign that have the potential to further exacerbate the increase in antisemitic acts occurring in New York," said Rez.
The Wednesday protest was also part of the “10 Days of Struggle for the Palestinian Prisoners’ Liberation” campaign led by the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, which began on the annual Palestinian Prisoner’s Day on April 17.
"Until all Palestinian prisoners are free, and every inch of Palestine has been liberated from zionist occupation, we will continue to fight for liberation and return within our lifetime, by any means necessary."
In December, two New York City Jewish men were attacked because one of them had been wearing an IDF sweatshirt. Like Green, Blake Zavadsky was given a black eye.
"This dangerous antisemitic behavior must be condemned by New York City Mayor Adams who has bravely stated in the past that 'an attack on our Jewish community is an attack on every New Yorker,'" Rez said of Wednesday's incident.
Ariella Marsden contributed to this report.