[ April 17, 2026 ]
As antisemitic incidents surge here in America and worldwide—synagogues attacked, Jewish neighborhoods besieged, Jews warned to conceal their identity, and chants openly calling for Jewish annihilation (“globalize the intifada”) filling streets—the enforcement focus of New York’s political leadership has turned not on Islamist or far-left groups driving much of that hostility, but on a Jewish organization.
Jew-hating violence spreads as Jews are told to hide their identity, Jews and synagogues are attacked, enforcement targets a Jewish group and spares those chanting for intifada. Not CAIR, not ANTIFA, not the multitudes of Islamic and far left terrror orgsc- just the Jews.
In January 2025, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a settlement forcing the pro-Israel group Betar to halt activities in New York. James accused Betar of targeting individuals based on religion and national origin and cited inflammatory rhetoric and alleged acts of intimidation at protests. Under the agreement, Betar accepted a suspended $50,000 fine, must file compliance reports for three years, and is winding down its New York operations, though it denied wrongdoing.
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Betar, which describes itself as “mainstream Zionism,” rejected the allegations and argued it was being singled out while groups that openly glorify Hamas, intimidate Jews, and promote violence face little to no comparable scrutiny. Notably, the Anti-Defamation League listed Betar as the only Jewish organization in its extremist database.
Critics argue the episode highlights a stark asymmetry: amid a climate of escalating antisemitic violence and intimidation, the state’s coercive power has been directed at Jews—while Islamist and far-left groups that chant for Jewish destruction and target Jewish institutions continue largely unchecked.
Who says we are far right? Our offices are in the Likud building? Netanyahu and betar are mainstream Zionism.
— Betar Worldwide (@Betar_USA) January 13, 2026
Far-right Jewish group Betar to halt activities in NY, state attorney general says
Pro-Israel organization targeted people due to their Arab, Muslim and Jewish identities, Office of the Attorney General says; group denies any wrongdoing
ADVERTISEMENTBy Luke Tress, Times of Israel, January 14, 2025:
A statement from James said Betar had “repeatedly targeted individuals based on religion and national origin,” including Muslims, Arabs, Palestinians and Jews.
“New York will not tolerate organizations that use fear, violence, and intimidation to silence free expression or target people because of who they are,” James said in a statement.
Betar said it “denies all allegations of wrongdoing.”
“Betar is mainstream Zionism, an organization without which the State of Israel would not exist,” a spokesperson told The Times of Israel. “We urge Zionists to come home to Israel.”
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James’s statement said the settlement requires Betar to halt encouraging violence, threats and harassment. The settlement subjected the group to a suspended $50,000 fine that it will need to pay if it does not comply with the agreement. Betar will need to file annual compliance reports for three years attesting that it has not violated the agreement.Betar was registered as a nonprofit in New York, but is seeking to dissolve its nonprofit status and told James’s office that it is “winding down” operations in New York, although this was not required by the settlement.
ADVERTISEMENTThe group solicited donations in New York, but did not register as a charity with James’s office, the report said.
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New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press briefing, February 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
An investigation by James’s office that started in March found that Betar had encouraged violence on social media, saying, “We are at war. Violence is needed.”The report cited other statements, such as referring to keffiyehs as “rape rags” and saying that Muslims “hate America.”
On social media, Betar said it hated Gazans, said, “We demand blood in Gaza,” and shared videos it said were members trespassing onto private property to steal Palestinian flags and burning the flags.
In a WhatsApp chat, Betar members said they “kicked terrorist ass” and got “punches in” at a vitriolic protest in a Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn last year, the report said.
The group also posted a video of what it said was a member hitting a woman at a protest, and footage of a member yelling at a person in a keffiyeh.
Last year, group members handed beepers to anti-Israel activists, a reference to Israel’s pager attack against Hezbollah around that time, the report said.
Betar also feuded with other Jewish groups, such as the Anti-Defamation League and New York activist Shai Davidai, whom Betar said were too conciliatory. The ADL put Betar on its database of extremist groups, the only Jewish organization on the list.
James’s office said Betar had violated New York civil rights law by assaulting and threatening people due to their identities and by stealing and burning property.
Betar presents itself as a new incarnation of the early Revisionist Zionist militia of the same name led by Ze’ev Jabotinsky.
“We are loud, proud, aggressive, and unapologetically Zionist — online and offline. We speak clearly. We act decisively,” the group says on its website.
It’s unclear what actual effect James’s settlement will have, or how much of a presence Betar has had on New York’s streets. The group has not released information about membership and does not conduct any formal activities. James’s settlement showed that a Betar representative agreed to the arrangement while residing in Israel and the group’s account on X is based in Israel.
An Internal Revenue Service document showed that Betar received nonprofit status in July 2024 and had under $50,000 in assets, but further documents were not available.
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