The Trump administration has initiated a lawsuit against anti-Israel demonstrators for allegedly harassing and assaulting Jewish worshippers during a religious gathering in New Jersey last year. The lawsuit also names a local dentist who faced felony assault charges for defending others, as stated in the complaint.
On Monday, the Justice Department filed this civil suit, accusing two groups from New Jersey—Party for Socialism and Liberation New Jersey and American Muslims for Palestine New Jersey—along with six individuals of orchestrating a “coordinated effort to intimidate and disrupt Jewish worshippers” outside the Congregation Ohr Torah in West Orange on November 13, 2024.
This 20-page lawsuit arose from a real estate fair organized by dentist Moshe Glick, which was intended to promote properties in Israel.
According to the complaint filed in federal court in New Jersey, Glick had to relocate the fair from his home to the synagogue after receiving a “threatening letter” from demonstrator Tova Fry, also known as Terry Fry, along with demands from the protest groups to call off the event entirely.
AMP had circulated a call on social media urging demonstrators to attend Glick’s event, stating, “Settlers bring illegal land sales back to New Jersey again! Zionists are selling stolen Palestinian land in Jerusalem,” as described in the lawsuit.
However, what was meant to be a peaceful “religious observance” quickly escalated into violence, as about 50 masked protesters arrived, armed with vuvuzelas, and breached a police barricade surrounding the synagogue, according to the lawsuit.
One of the defendants, Eric Camins, allegedly shouted “The Jew is here!” at Jewish worshipper David Silberberg, prompting protester Altaf Sharif to physically assault Silberberg, dragging him into a parking lot and placing him in a chokehold, the suit claims.
In response, Glick intervened to defend Silberberg and struck Sharif on the head with a flashlight, the court documents state.
Glick has pleaded not guilty to the felony assault charges, maintaining that he was acting in self-defense, and he expressed gratitude for the federal support on Tuesday.
“The Department of Justice’s filing today confirms what our community has stated all along: the real transgressions were committed by those who intimidated and attacked a member of our community outside a synagogue,” he declared in a statement.
“The charges against me filed by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office were improperly obtained, and I have submitted a motion for their dismissal. My legal team is confident in a positive outcome.
“The accusations made against me in Essex County are unfounded. I acted in defense of an individual who was being violently assaulted while the police did not intervene.”
The DOJ is seeking significant damages from each protester and the advocacy organizations involved, which have yet to respond to requests for comments.
Additional reporting by Alex Oliveira
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