Mamdani slams Israeli real estate event in NYC as 'effort to displace Palestinians'

“Mamdani slams Israeli real estate event in NYC as 'effort to displace Palestinians' Submitted by MEE staff on Wed, 05/06/2026 - 17:08 The Park East Synagogue in New York City held a similar event in November that also drew protests New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani delivers an address to commemorate his first 100 days in office, in Queens, New York City, on 12 April 2026 (David 'Dee' Delgado/Reuters) Off New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday slammed an Israeli real estate expo at a local synagogue one day earlier, which had been promoting homes and land in the occupied West Bank. The United Nations maintains that the Israeli occupation since 1967 is illegal, and by extension, so are settlements constructed in the area. Population transfers are prohibited by the Geneva Conventions. "When we have a real estate expo that is promoting the sale of land, which includes the sale of land in occupied West Bank in settlements that are a violation of international law, that is something that I firmly disagree with," the mayor told reporters. "I also believe that many New Yorkers firmly disagree with [it] because it has been at the heart of an ongoing effort to displace Palestinians from their homes," he added. On Tuesday, hundreds of protesters convened by the group, Palestinian Assembly for Liberation (Pal-Awda), gathered near the Park East Synagogue to protest against the second such event at the site since November. Event organisers at the synagogue promoted properties in the settlements of Kfar Eldad and Karnei Shomron, as well as tax and mortgage advice for buyers. But protesters were kept a block away from the event by a heavy police presence and barricades. The New York Police Department (NYPD) was accused of having "violently kettled and barricaded pro-Palestine protesters while protecting Zionist counter agitators," and also "pepper sprayed demonstrators, and brutally grabbed and pushed those present", a statement sent to Middle East Eye by Pal-Awda on Wednesday said. Footage provided to MEE by the group shows a tense standoff between police and protesters after dark, with officers shouting at the protesters, who were pushing against the barricades, to move back. Mamdani told reporters that he has "made it clear time and time again that we in this city believe in the sacrosanct nature of the right to protest and also are committed to ensuring that any New Yorker can safely enter or exit from a house of worship", but had no criticism of police conduct. "The police ensured [both rights] yesterday," he added. 'Violation of the Fair Housing Act' In December, more than 100 grassroots organisations called on the then-mayor-elect Mamdani to drop controversial police commissioner Jessica Tisch, who has been criticised for cracking down on pro-Palestinian demonstrators. Mamdani had indicated well before his inauguration in January that he would keep Tisch, who comes from one of the wealthiest and most influential families in New York, in her post. More than 100 groups urge Mamdani to drop controversial police commissioner Jessica Tisch Read More » "We strongly oppose this decision," 121 groups said in a statement, including the pro-Palestinian advocacy group, Within Our Lifetime, and the Black Alliance for Peace and Jews Against White Supremacy. "Retaining Tisch represents a political alignment with the NYPD’s legacy of racialized policing, surveillance, and repression, and a retreat from the values of justice and liberation that Mamdani’s campaign claimed to champion," the groups said in a statement. Pal-Awda on Wednesday said that the synagogue event "required a stringent vetting process for entry, with religious and political criteria that are in violation of the Fair Housing Act and federal anti-discrimination law", likely referring to a real estate sale in Manhattan only being accessible to a select group of people. Pal-Awda called it “shameful that Zionist agencies continue to hide their illegal activities in houses of worship". In March 2024, Palestinian lawyers and advocates submitted an official demand letter to the attorney general of New York, calling for an audit and investigation of the sales of Israeli-occupied land to New Yorkers. A demand letter is the final step before a lawsuit. No response has yet been received, Pal-Awda said. Mamdani reaffirmed his position on Wednesday that "there is no tolerance for antisemitism". "Critique of the policies of a government are very much separate from bigotry towards the people of a specific religious faith," he said. US Protests News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

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