Far-right Zionist group Betar to shut down New York operations following state probe into ‘campaign of violence’

The far-right Zionist organisation Betar has dissolved its New York operations following a damning investigation by the state attorney general that exposed a “campaign of violence, harassment and intimidation” targeting Arab, Muslim and Jewish New Yorkers.

Announced on Tuesday by New York Attorney General Letitia James, the settlement follows a 2025 probe into Betar USA, the American affiliate of the global Betar movement. The investigation uncovered multiple instances of physical assault, incitement and hate-fuelled intimidation, all reportedly carried out in the name of defending Israel.

“My office’s investigation uncovered an alarming and illegal pattern of bias-motivated harassment and violence designed to terrorize communities and shut down lawful protest,” said James. ” This behavior is unacceptable, and it is not who we are as New Yorkers. My office will continue to use every tool available to protect all New Yorkers’ civil rights and public safety.”

My office is ending @Betar_USA‘s campaign that engaged in bias-motivated assaults, threats, and harassment targeting Muslim, Arab, Palestinian, and Jewish New Yorkers.

My office will continue to use every tool available to protect all New Yorkers’ civil rights and public safety.

— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) January 13, 2026

Betar, rooted in the extremist revisionist Zionist ideology of Ze’ev Jabotinsky, has long promoted hardline, militaristic positions. The group has often been accused of Islamophobia and incitement against Palestinian rights advocates.

The investigation cited numerous alarming incidents. In early 2025, Betar activists reportedly approached individuals they believed to be Muslim or pro-Palestinian and attempted to hand them beeper-like devices, alluding to a September 2024 Israeli attack on Hezbollah.

At a university campus, Betar members were found to have stalked and harassed visibly Muslim students, particularly those wearing hijabs or kaffiyehs. Students reported being followed and pressured to take the suspicious devices, despite clearly expressing distress. The attorney general noted that these acts were ” intended to threaten and terrorize.”

READ: New York reaches settlement with pro-Israel group, ending its harassment of pro-Palestine activists

At a protest in Borough Park, Brooklyn, in February 2025, Betar encouraged its supporters to “fight back” against what it labelled “terrorists,” urging them to bring pit bulls to confront demonstrators. The protest ended in violence, including a stabbing and numerous assaults. Betar later glorified the attacks on social media, celebrating a senior member who struck a woman in a kaffiyeh and posting the video online.

Under the terms of the settlement, Betar must cease all operations in New York State, dissolve its registered not-for-profit corporation and refrain from any further incitement or harassment. A $50,000 fine has been suspended, contingent on future compliance.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani praised the decision, stating, ” For years, Betar has sowed a campaign of hatred across New York, trafficking in Islamophobic extremism and harassing those with whom they disagreed. There is no place for their bigotry in our politics, and I’m grateful for [the attorney general]’s unflagging pursuit of justice.”

Betar responded by insulting Mamdani as “Mayor Jihadi,” while warning Zionists to leave the city: “Zionists must not speak up in NY or will have many issues. We urge all Zionists to evacuate NYC voluntarily as we did.”

The group also continued to post inflammatory messages online, describing Israeli newspaper Haaretz staff as “kapo traitors” and asserting that “Betar is mainstream Zionism.”

In a related development, British Palestinian academic and physician Dr Rahmeh Aladwan has been arrested for the fourth time in the UK in less than three months, in what she describes as “state-sponsored harassment” linked to pressure from pro-Israel lobby groups.

Aladwan, who has used social media to express solidarity with Palestinians and to condemn Israeli policies, said that her latest arrest on 15 January followed anonymous reports, allegedly from Jewish individuals and organisations, made to the UK’s anti-terrorism hotline.

Today, I was arrested for the fourth time in less than three months. During interrogation, officers explicitly stated, ‘jews keep calling’ to report me.

The Metropolitan Police have traveled from London, booked hotel stays, and arrested me on four separate dates: October 21,… pic.twitter.com/yRORDZ08Oh

— Dr Rahmeh Aladwan (@doctor_rahmeh) January 15, 2026

“During interrogation, officers told me explicitly that ‘Jews keep calling’ to report me,” she said. “This is a coordinated campaign to silence criticism of Israel and criminalise Palestinian solidarity.”

The Metropolitan Police reportedly travelled from London to arrest Dr Aladwan in multiple operations since October, with her bail conditions now amounting to a form of house arrest. She is barred from attending Palestine-related events or sharing posts that could be deemed as ‘stirring up racial hatred’ or ‘supporting a proscribed group’.

Aladwan denies any such incitement, describing the legal campaign against her as an attack on civil liberties. ” The Israel’ lobby is an enemy to free speech and civil liberties in Britain.”

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