Anti-Israel activists are planning a protest Wednesday outside a Nefesh B’Nefesh immigration event in Manhattan, escalating a pattern of confrontations that have often crossed from political protest into harassment and intimidation.

The demonstration is being organized by Palestinian Assembly for Liberation (PAL‑Awda) NY/NJ, which is urging supporters to bring Palestinian flags, keffiyehs, and noisemakers to disrupt Nefesh B’Nefesh’s “NBN on Tour” program—an informational event for North American Jews considering aliyah to Israel.

In a post circulated Sunday on social media, PAL-Awda described the event as a “settler recruitment fair” and framed Jewish immigration to Israel as part of what it called “Zionist colonial expansion.” The group labeled all approximately 80,000 immigrants who have moved to Israel through Nefesh B’Nefesh since 2002 as “settlers” living on “stolen land,” despite the fact that NBN participants settle across a wide range of Israeli cities and communities.

“It is our duty to confront the pipeline of settlement and Zionist colonial expansion that is taking place in our own neighborhoods,” the group wrote.

Nefesh B’Nefesh stresses that the organization facilitates lawful immigration to Israel and provides practical guidance on housing, employment, education, and integration. A representative said the group is committed to ensuring a safe and welcoming environment for all participants and is prioritizing security and wellbeing ahead of Wednesday’s event.

The planned protest follows a similar demonstration led by PAL-Awda outside a Nefesh B’Nefesh event at Park East Synagogue in November, where attendees were heckled and harassed as they entered the building. Video and social media posts from that protest showed demonstrators chanting slogans including “Settler, settler, go back home, Palestine is ours alone,” and “Death to the IDF.”

Law enforcement preparations for Wednesday’s protest were not publicly detailed, but organizers on both sides said they expect a visible police presence.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)