Protesters flooded midtown Manhattan on Saturday, turning Bryant Park into a scene of fervent anti-Israel activism during the “Stand with Gaza” rally. Thousands gathered, waving signs demanding an end to all U.S. aid to Israel and chanting phrases like “free, free Palestine” and “Palestine will live forever.” But the rally’s most alarming element was the repeated call to “globalize the intifada,” a slogan that has drawn sharp bipartisan condemnation for its associations with violence against Jews and Israelis.
The term “intifada” originates from Arabic, meaning a rebellion or uprising, often tied to Palestinian resistance against Israel. Historically, the First Intifada from 1987 to 1993 involved protests, strikes, and violent acts like stone-throwing and Molotov cocktails. The Second Intifada, spanning 2000 to 2005, escalated dramatically with suicide bombings targeting Israeli civilians, marking a period of intense bloodshed. In modern contexts, “globalize the intifada” has become a rallying cry in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, but critics argue it promotes worldwide violence or terrorism, extending the conflict’s brutality beyond the Middle East.
This Manhattan demonstration, dubbed “Stop Starving Gaza: Mass March for Humanity” by organizers, drew tens of thousands according to reports from participants and observers. Protesters clanged cowbells and marched near the New York Public Library, with some invoking antisemitic tropes by chanting about influences “in Wall Street” and “in the White House.”
One notable figure, anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil, quoted a slain Al Jazeera correspondent allegedly linked to Hamas, further fueling concerns about the event’s radical undertones. The protest even intersected with everyday life in unexpected ways, as a couple reportedly got married amid the chaos.
The timing of the rally coincides with growing pushback against such rhetoric. Just weeks earlier, on July 17, 2025, U.S. Representatives Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Rudy Yakym (R-Ind.) introduced H.Res. 588, a bipartisan resolution condemning “globalize the intifada” as hate speech that incites violence against Jews and Israelis worldwide. The measure highlights recent attacks, including the fatal burning of pro-Israel demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, and the deadly shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, D.C., as evidence of the slogan’s dangerous real-world impact. If passed, it would discourage leaders from endorsing or participating in such chants, putting their safety at risk.
Rep. Yakym emphasized the urgency, stating, “Condemning it should be common sense, but some would rather play politics than tell the truth. The violence and hatred directed at Jewish and Israeli people is reprehensible. No one, especially in America, should have to live in fear for their safety, or even their life, because of their religion or ethnicity.”
His co-sponsor, Rep. Gottheimer, who is Jewish, added, “It must be condemned. I’m against hate speech targeting anyone — and everyone should be. It’s insane and unacceptable to me that this antisemitic rhetoric is spreading rampant across our country.”
Yet, not all politicians have joined the chorus of disapproval. New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, has faced demands from top Democrats and media to denounce the phrase but has declined to do so directly. Instead, he responded, “It is language, I understand, there are concerns about, and what I will do is showcase my vision for the city through my words and my actions.”
This evasion has drawn criticism, especially as the resolution gains traction for labeling the slogan a clear call to violence.
Public reaction on social media has been swift and largely negative toward the protesters. Users described the calls as a “message of violence against Jews” and warned that allowing such radicals to dominate city streets risks turning New York into a hotspot for extremism.
One commenter noted, “Next, it will be Christians. This is how this shit starts,” while others labeled the demonstrators “filthy animals” and questioned why authorities haven’t intervened more forcefully, drawing parallels to the treatment of January 6 participants.
Events like this underscore a troubling trend: the importation of Middle Eastern conflicts onto American soil, often amplified by unchecked immigration and left-wing activism.
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