By Ajay tarpal
NEW YORK — Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside a synagogue in New York on Tuesday evening to demonstrate against an Israeli real estate event promoting properties for sale in the occupied West Bank, as tensions escalated between protesters, counterprotesters, and police.
According to reports, around 100 demonstrators took part in the protest outside the venue, marking the second major demonstration held there in the past six months over the same issue. The event, known as “The Great Israeli Real Estate Event,” is organized in cities across the United States and Canada to help foreign buyers purchase property in Israel and relocate there.
Scuffles broke out after counterprotesters arrived at the scene, while some pro-Palestinian demonstrators attempted to move past police barriers placed around the synagogue. Police officers intervened as tensions briefly intensified outside the event.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani criticized the real estate gathering, with his office stating that some of the properties being marketed are considered illegal under international law and are connected to the displacement of Palestinians in the occupied territories.
The protest was organized by Pal-Awda NY, the same activist group that staged demonstrations outside the synagogue during another Israeli real estate event held in November last year.
Following previous demonstrations, the New York City Council approved new rules restricting protests near religious institutions. Under the legislation, authorities are required to establish security plans and buffer zones during demonstrations outside places of worship.
Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank remain one of the most disputed issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Much of the international community considers the settlements illegal under international law, though Israel rejects that interpretation