Jewish Rabbis Protest in Support of Palestine Outside UN Headquarters

As delegates from around the world begin arriving in New York for the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, a group of Jewish religious leaders and activists have been holding ongoing protests outside the UN headquarters in Manhattan in support of Palestine and against Israel’s actions in Gaza.

For the past two weeks, Jewish rabbis have been demonstrating daily, calling for an end to the war in Gaza and advocating for the recognition of a Palestinian state. On Monday, the protests continued with rabbis chanting, ringing bells, and holding placards with anti-Israel slogans.

One young Jewish rabbi participating in the protest told Prothom Alo, “We, as Jews, are gathered here in support of Palestine. Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, crimes against humanity have been committed in the name of Judaism. We are here every day to protest against that.”

The initial activities of the UN General Assembly began on September 9. Since then, 30 Jewish religious representatives have been holding daily demonstrations outside the UN building. They have pledged to continue their protest until the high-level General Debate begins on September 23 and runs through September 27, with representatives from all 193 UN member states scheduled to attend.

Speaking to the crowd, one rabbi declared, “I am a Jewish rabbi, and we stand here on behalf of Jews around the world who are ashamed and outraged by this war. Many Jews are suffering because of it. Netanyahu is deliberately using the Jewish religion for his own political agenda in this war.”

According to reports, over 3,000 people have been arrested across the United States since 2024 for participating in pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protests. This includes students and activists, such as Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil, whose green card is currently under review. The Trump administration has reportedly revoked the visas of at least 300 individuals for their involvement in these protests.

However, despite the daily demonstrations in front of the UN headquarters, no arrests have been reported so far in connection with these specific protests.