On Wednesday evening, a large group of demonstrators in New Haven, Conn., gathered to protest against the visit of Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who had been invited to speak at an event near Yale University’s campus. The event, hosted by Shabtai, a private Jewish intellectual discussion society based at Yale, drew more than 300 protesters who waved Israeli and Palestinian flags outside the venue, as reported by the Yale Daily News.
As Mr. Ben-Gvir left the event, some demonstrators threw water bottles at him, expressing their opposition to his extreme views and controversial background. Mr. Ben-Gvir, who has been criticized for his radical stance on various issues, including his past support for a man responsible for a massacre in a West Bank mosque, has long been a divisive figure in Israeli politics.
Prior to the event, a group of students erected a tent encampment on the Yale campus plaza to protest Mr. Ben-Gvir’s appearance, echoing similar demonstrations against the war in Gaza that took place at Yale and other campuses last spring. The protests at Yale were part of a larger wave of activism against the Israeli government’s policies, with Columbia University also experiencing student-led protests in recent weeks.
The demonstrations outside the event venue were not without incident, as one man, who was not a student, was arrested by the New Haven police for disorderly conduct and interfering with an officer after kicking cars as they drove by. The confrontations marked Mr. Ben-Gvir’s first official trip to the United States since rejoining Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in March.
The decision to invite Mr. Ben-Gvir to speak at the event sparked immediate backlash from current and former Jewish students at Yale, as well as Jewish alumni and clergy members who criticized his criminal convictions for incitement to racism and support for a terrorist group. More than 40 Jewish alumni penned a letter denouncing Mr. Ben-Gvir’s message of “hatred and revenge,” while 20 Jewish clergy members called him “a danger to all Israelis and Palestinians.”
In response to the protests, Mr. Ben-Gvir’s office issued a statement to CNN confirming that water bottles had been thrown at him but that he was unharmed. The statement also mentioned that Mr. Ben-Gvir refused to leave the scene and gestured a V sign at the protesters as a sign of victory.
As the situation continues to develop, both Yale University and Rabbi Shmully Hecht, Shabtai’s co-founder and rabbinical director, have yet to comment on the events. However, Rabbi Hecht expressed his admiration for Mr. Ben-Gvir, stating that he believes in promoting what he deems best for his people as democratically elected.
This ongoing story will be updated as more information becomes available.
