Settlement Real Estate Expo at Brooklyn Synagogue Sparks Protests

On Monday, May 11, 2026, the “Great Israeli Real Estate Event” was held inside Young Israel of Midwood, an Orthodox synagogue in Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighborhood. The expo, co-sponsored by Israel-linked firms, advertised land in West Bank settlements such as Kfar Eldad, Karnei Shomron and Gush Etzion—sales deemed illegal under international law. It follows a similar showcase at Manhattan’s Park East Synagogue previously, which also drew protests. The synagogue houses the city-funded Young Israel Senior Services, which received over $800,000 in 2024. April’s “buffer-zone” ordinance requires the NYPD to keep access to houses of worship unobstructed; Mayor Zohran Mamdani let the measure become law without his signature.

The InterceptThe Jerusalem PostThe Jerusalem PostFor Second Time in Week, Anti-Israel Mob Besieges New York City Synagogue

Mayor Mamdani publicly denounced the expo, saying he is deeply opposed to promoting settlement sales while pledging to protect free-speech at houses of worship. The NYPD said its tactics aimed to keep protesters and counter-protesters apart and reported at least one arrest. NYCLU director Donna Lieberman called the police cordon a “no-speech zone.” Organizer Yaacov Epstein urged participants not to be intimidated.

The Jerusalem Post

Pro-Palestine marchers in keffiyehs surrounded the synagogue, waving Hezbollah flags and chanting “Globalize the intifada” and “Brick by brick, wall by wall, Israel will fall.” Counter-protesters on scooters hurled slurs, threw eggs and pepper-sprayed a demonstrator. Police set up barricades; a barrier breach left an officer with a leg injury that required hospitalization. Video shows scuffles, a protester yanking a woman’s hair, and an elderly resident confronting a masked demonstrator. The Intercept cites at least one arrest; JPost reports none.

Times of Israel

Sources disagree on arrests and police numbers: the Intercept notes at least one arrest and “hundreds” of officers, while JPost mentions no arrests and gives no precise officer count. Reports of the officer’s injury range from a brief leg wound to hospitalization.

The Intercept

• “Mayor Mamdani is deeply opposed to the real estate expo this evening that includes the promotion of the sale of land in settlements in the Occupied West Bank,” — Sam Raskin, spokesperson for Mayor Zohran Mamdani

The Intercept

• “When politicians use Freedom of Religion as a pretext to impose severe restrictions on speech, they undermine all New Yorkers’ rights,” — Donna Lieberman, executive director, NYCLU

The Intercept

• “We will continue to show up whenever and wherever these sales occur.” — PAL-Awda NY/NJ representative

For Second Time in Week, Anti-Israel Mob Besieges New York City Synagogue

• “We will continue to build, grow, and stand strong together - and we will not allow those who wish to disturb the event to weaken our spirit and unity,” — Yaacov Epstein, event organizer

The Jerusalem Post

City officials will enforce the buffer-zone law more strictly as expos are planned. PAL-Awda has scheduled rallies, and the NYPD says it is ready to deploy extra barriers if protests recur. Pending council rules on protest management at houses of worship may further shape police response.

The Jerusalem Post