New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a landmark settlement Tuesday that will disband the operations of Betar US, a far-right pro-Israel organization, following a civil rights investigation that uncovered a systematic campaign of violence, harassment, and intimidation targeting Muslim, Arab, Palestinian, and Jewish activists across New York State. The settlement marks a significant victory for civil rights advocates and represents one of the first major actions taken against organized groups targeting pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
Pattern of Violence and Intimidation Uncovered
The investigation, launched in March 2025 after multiple complaints, revealed that Betar US engaged in widespread persecution driven by explicit hostility toward protected groups in violation of New York civil rights laws. According to the New York Attorney General’s office, investigators “uncovered evidence of Betar’s widespread persecution of Muslim, Arab, Palestinian, and Jewish New Yorkers,” driven by broad hostility and animus toward several protected groups.
“New York will not tolerate organizations that use fear, violence, and intimidation to silence free expression or target people because of who they are,” James stated in her announcement. Her office’s probe unveiled what she described as “an alarming and illegal pattern of bias-motivated harassment and violence designed to terrorize communities and shut down lawful protest”.
Aggressive Tactics and Extremist Classification
Betar US gained notoriety among pro-Palestinian activists for its aggressive counter-protest tactics, which included surveillance, harassment, and the use of facial recognition technology to identify masked protesters. The Anti-Defamation League designated Betar US as an “extremist group” for its “embrace of Islamophobia and harassment of Muslims,” making it the only Jewish organization on the ADL’s extremist database.
The investigation documented numerous public and private statements by Betar leadership expressing anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab, and anti-Muslim animus, including repeated use of slurs and demeaning language. Investigators found that the organization publicly called on supporters to “attend and disrupt” pro-Palestinian protests and promoted violence by urging members to bring weapons to protests, including knives, pepper spray, and attack dogs.
Targeting Multiple Communities
The Attorney General’s investigation determined that Betar’s harassment extended beyond pro-Palestinian activists to include Jewish individuals who expressed views the group opposed. According to the findings, Betar threatened to place Jewish activists on lists to be shared with foreign authorities in an effort to bar them from travel and intimidate them into silence. In private communications, Betar leadership wrote, “of course we place Jews on lists,” confirming that the group targeted Jewish New Yorkers they deemed insufficiently aligned with Betar’s extremist ideology.
At one New York City university, a Betar member repeatedly harassed students wearing hijabs or keffiyehs, following them and demanding they accept a beeper despite their visible distress, according to the Attorney General’s report. In another incident documented by investigators, a Betar member followed a Jewish academic on a public street, forcibly shoved a beeper into his pocket against his will, and verbally abused him.
Settlement Terms and Enforcement
Under the agreement announced Tuesday, Betar is permanently barred from instigating or encouraging violence, physically assaulting or threatening individuals, harassing protesters, or damaging others’ property based on protected characteristics. The settlement subjects the organization to a suspended $50,000 penalty that will be enforced if Betar violates the agreement. Betar US is seeking to dissolve its not-for-profit corporation and has indicated to the Attorney General’s office that it is winding down operations in New York.
The organization is also obligated to submit annual compliance reports for the next three years. Despite soliciting donations in New York through its website and social media, investigators found that Betar had never registered with the Attorney General’s Charities Bureau.
Technology and Deportation Campaigns
Betar US gained attention in recent months for claiming it compiled the names of campus protesters against the war in Gaza and submitted them to Trump administration officials, urging deportation. According to The Times of Israel, the group used artificial intelligence facial recognition technology to identify foreign students involved in anti-Israel protests in the hope that the Trump administration would deport them from the United States.
Ross Glick, executive director of Betar US, told The Times of Israel in December 2024 that “college campuses have effectively become war zones” since October 7, 2023. The group’s social media presence included posts offering cash rewards for confronting activists, with one post stating: “$1,800 to anyone who hands that jihadi a beeper”.
Civil Rights Victory and Community Response
The Council on American-Islamic Relations New York chapter characterized the shutdown of Betar’s harassment campaign as a “historic and positive step toward protecting New Yorkers who have faced intimidation simply for advocating for Palestinian human rights”. The civil rights organization urged authorities to hold the organization accountable for any criminal harassment.
The settlement comes amid a broader national context of rising tensions around Israel-Palestine activism. While the implications of this agreement on Betar’s grassroots efforts or its involvement in street demonstrations in other states remain uncertain, civil rights advocates view the New York action as establishing an important precedent for protecting constitutional rights to protest and freedom of expression.
The investigation and settlement underscore growing concerns about organized groups using surveillance technology and intimidation tactics to suppress political speech. As Attorney General James emphasized, the action sends a clear message that bias-motivated harassment and violence designed to terrorize communities will face legal consequences in New York State.