Jewish family attacked with anti-Israel slogans at graduation ceremony in New York

A Jewish mother and her husband, a Dominican and Catholic, were violently attacked by an Arabic-speaking family at their children’s fifth-grade graduation ceremony at PS 682 in Gravesend, Brooklyn, the New York Post reported.

The attackers shouted anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian slogans, including “Free Palestine!”, “Gaza is ours!” and “Death to Israel!” The incident occurred shortly after the closing ceremony, which was held under the motto “All you need is love.”

During the attack, the Jewish woman’s husband was thrown to the ground, put in a chokehold, and repeatedly kicked and punched by members of the other family. One woman struck him with the pointed heel of her stiletto. The couple’s 10-year-old twins witnessed the attack. The mother, Lana, believes her family was targeted because they are Jewish.

The incident is considered one of the worst outbreaks of anti-Semitism in New York public schools since the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel and the war in Gaza on October 7. Tova Plaut, an educator and advocate for Jewish students, had previously warned that tolerance of openly anti-Semitic views would lead to a toxic environment and physical violence against Jewish students and families.

The New York Police Department initially did not classify the incident as a hate crime, but after the couple urged them to reconsider their decision, the Hate Crimes Task Force began investigating the incident.

During the graduation ceremony, a student walked across the stage wearing a graduation cap that read “Free Palestine” and waved a small Palestinian flag. Lana’s mother was upset and left the school. A school administrator told another parent that the legal department of the city’s Department of Education had approved the display as an expression of free speech.

The attack began when relatives of the boy with the flag tried to push Lana and Johan out of the way as they took photos with their children in front of a PS 682 banner and balloons. An elderly man shouted anti-Israel slogans, and when Johan argued with him, another man punched him and a scuffle ensued. Johan was put in a chokehold and held down by several people, while her 16-year-old son was punched in the face as he tried to help his father.

Lana was also attacked by a woman in the group, who pulled her hair and slammed her to the ground while screaming, “I’m going to kill you.” There were no security forces on site, but two male teachers intervened to stop the attack. Johan was taken to Maimonides Medical Center with injuries, while Lana suffered a cut on her leg and her teenage son had a bloody nose.

Police arrested one man, 26-year-old Ez-Al Dean Bazar, who beat and dragged Johan. However, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office’s criminal complaint did not provide a motive for the attack.