Anti-government protesters filed a harassment complaint against religious Zionist MK Simcha Rothman early Saturday after he forcefully snatched a megaphone from one of the protesters as he toured New York.
Rothman, a key architect of the government’s controversial judicial overhaul, is one of several Israeli lawmakers in New York. celebrate israel parade on Sunday.
Lawmakers have been repeatedly targeted by anti-overhaul protesters in the city, who have focused largely on Rothman, chairman of the Constitution Law and Justice Committee.
Late Friday night, Rothman appeared to lose his temper with protesters and chant with a megaphone on his way back to his hotel from a meeting.
In a video posted on social media, Rothman can be seen turning around and forcibly snatching a megaphone from a woman, then running away.
Further video showed a scuffle with Rothman and his security continuing as they tried to get the megaphone back. At least 2 people were pushed to the floor.
DOCUMENTATION: MK Rotman lost patience – and forcibly kidnapped a protester from a megaphone in New York. For the full story >>> https://t.co/ZrnU4aPdwA@Hadasgrinberg
Photo: Shani Granot-Lawton pic.twitter.com/YhrN4jmSdP– Kann News (@kann_news) June 3, 2023
The Vala news site said the woman was a student pursuing a master’s degree at Columbia University. Vala quoted him as saying, “Even Rothman’s violence will not stop our protest.”
Later, he lodged a case of harassment against the MLA.
It was not immediately clear whether Rothman, a Knesset MP, has diplomatic immunity in New York.
Shortly thereafter, Chuck Rothman stole the activist’s megaphone in New York. The injured activist, a graduate student in Columbia and a lawyer by profession, is now going to file a complaint with the New York Police Department.
It is impossible not to compare the shocking scenes of violence towards the protesters in his room and Knesset member Rotman’s shocking violence towards the young woman who … pic.twitter.com/CdcTDQZFo3
– DemocratTV (@Democrat_TV) June 3, 2023
“This is not Manhattan Hedera; Democracy still exists here, so we can say whatever we want in front of them, and no police officer will stop us from exercising basic freedom of expression,” said protest organizer Shani Granot.
“This is our opportunity to push back against the delegation of lies and hate,” protest organizers said in a statement earlier. “Our message is simple: Anyone who subverts Israeli democracy should not expect a relaxing holiday in New York.”
A complaint was filed against MK Rothman in the New York Police Department
(Oral Alkali) https://t.co/RiLq6JnUDu pic.twitter.com/r24gwQWqSO– Kann News (@kann_news) June 3, 2023
Labor Party leader Merav Micheli said the move was symbolic of Rothman’s efforts to silence democracy in Israel.
Micheli tweeted after the incident, “For someone who tries to usurp democracy in Israel, don’t be surprised when he confiscates a megaphone from a protester who is telling the truth.”
“The violent silence is the perfect epitome of the violent silence this government is trying to perpetrate on all aspects of our lives. We will continue to fight them everywhere and at all times.
Israeli protesters in New York have been holding weekly rallies in Manhattan’s Washington Square Park, as well as events targeting government ministers and American supporters of the overhaul in New York. They have built a well-coordinated network of hundreds of people in and around the city in recent months, an effort that is paying off as they work to disrupt lawmakers’ trips to New York. Group members alert organizers when they see them by sending photos and a location to politicians around town, and other nearby activists are dispatched to the scene. Protesters confronted Rothman as he rested on a park bench in Brooklyn on Thursday, telling him “he is not wanted here.”
Demonstrators at the Israeli ex-pat group Unacceptable rally on June 2, 2023 in New York City. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)
The purpose of the Israeli protesters is to express support for the protest movement in Israel and to voice opposition to the judicial overhaul in the US. US-based protesters teamed up with protest leaders in Israel, some of whom are taking part in Sunday’s march.
Rothman condemned the US demonstrations on Thursday.
“To the leaders of the protests against Israel’s democratically elected government, I say today: is it not enough that you have acted to damage the vital unity between our fighting forces, and have both fueled violence in Israel?” Who has been instigated and done?” Rothman said.
He asked President Isaac Herzog to “condemn organizations that are prepared to destroy the most important ties of the State of Israel with world Jewry in order to score points in the domestic political struggle.”
In a statement this week, Unacceptable called on the organizers of the Celebrate Israel parade to rescind the invitation to coalition lawmakers.
It is not clear how many Israeli lawmakers will attend – reports this week put the figure as high as 18, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday invited Likud members to join public criticism over the cost of sending so many politicians abroad. Reason asked for not attending.
