Two days ago (Sunday), dozens of pro-Palestinian activists held an anti-Israel protest on the streets of New Haven and Bridgeport, Connecticut. The demonstrators moved in a convoy of vehicles decorated with Palestinian flags and keffiyehs, in what the organizers described as a "rondo" – a protest that moved throughout the city.
The protest was called "New year, same genocide." Behind the protest is We Will Return, an American non-profit organization, which says it works to provide humanitarian aid to Palestinian families and promote what they define as the "right of return."
Connecticut is ranked 12th in the U.S. in terms of the size of its Jewish community, with 141,500 Jewish residents, but in fifth place in terms of the percentage of Jews in the population (3.91%). Most of the country's Jews are located in the large cities where the demonstrations were held. Allison Lubchansky, a resident of Bridgeport, described in a conversation with N12 the fear following the demonstrations.
"20% of the neighborhood's residents are Jewish, after the October 7 attack we all hung signs with the Israeli flag and the inscription "BRING THEM HOME" on our lawns. There were cases where the neighbors were spray-painted with things like 'Palestinian blood,'" she said.
"I also had an Israeli flag sign in the yard, and I feel terrible to say it, but I took it down because I was worried," Lubchansky shared. "We talked about it at home, my husband and I. We have small children and we don't know who is walking around the area – who brings the Amazon packages, or who the postman is. I don't know if I would have said it wasn't worth the risk, but that's what we decided."
"From the Jewish side, at least where we are, it's not anti-Palestinian, it's pro-Israel," she continued. "Every Sunday we hold a quiet march for the return of the hostages. It's a quiet and social event, an important reminder of solidarity. But on the other hand, it looks completely anti-Israel – hatred, destruction and incitement," she said of the pro-Palestinian demonstrations. "It's a completely different force and a completely different feeling."
While most Jews in Connecticut's major cities are clearly supportive of Israel, there are still Jewish communities that do not support Israel and are even actively working against it. We will return (which organized the protest two days ago) has held similar protests in the past, such as the official lighting of candles by the Hartford Jewish Organization on the last candle of Hanukkah, in which a menorah was placed and a keffiyeh was spread and a sign "Jews for Palestine" was placed on it.
"These demonstrations and protests are aggressive and it is worrisome," Lubchansky concludes. "Even when we go to events in the synagogue on the various holidays, or every time there is a big community event, I am very worried. I'm afraid that someone will just come in with a weapon."
* Mako contributed to this article.
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