The New York Attorney General reached a settlement with Betar US that will lead the far‑right group to wind down its New York operations after finding it intimidated pro‑Palestinian activists. The agreement bars Betar from inciting violence, threatening protesters or harassing people exercising civil rights and carries a suspended $50,000 penalty enforceable on breach. Betar denies wrongdoing and says it fights antisemitism; it has indicated it is dissolving its not‑for‑profit corporation. The case comes amid wider campus protests and debate over deportation efforts and free‑speech concerns.
NY Attorney General Says Betar US To Wind Down New York Operations After Intimidation Findings
FILE PHOTO: New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks to the media outside the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, in Norfolk, Virginia, U.S., October 24, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
The New York Attorney General's office announced on Tuesday that it has reached a settlement with Betar US requiring the far‑right Zionist group to wind down its activities in New York after an investigation found the organization intimidated pro‑Palestinian activists.
The probe concluded that Betar "repeatedly targeted individuals based on religion and national origin," the AG's office said. Under the settlement, Betar must immediately cease instigating or encouraging violence, stop threatening protesters, and refrain from harassing people exercising their civil rights. The agreement includes a suspended $50,000 penalty that will be enforced if the group violates the terms.
What the Investigation Found
The AG's investigation found that, after President Donald Trump returned to office and issued executive orders aimed at pro‑Palestinian protesters, Betar provided names of international students and faculty to the Trump administration as part of efforts to pursue deportations. Those deportation attempts by the federal government have since encountered legal obstacles.
“The settlement requires Betar to immediately cease instigating or encouraging violence against individuals, threatening protesters, and harassing individuals exercising their civil rights,” the attorney general's office said.
The Anti‑Defamation League, a major Jewish advocacy organization, has described Betar as an extremist group. Betar, for its part, denied any wrongdoing and said its mission is to combat antisemitism. The group describes itself as part of a militant Zionist movement founded roughly a century ago in Europe; its website states it was "reborn in the summer of 2024" and lists its headquarters in Israel.
Wider Context
Campus protests across the United States surged after Israel launched a major assault on Gaza following Hamas' October 2023 attack on Israel. The conflict and the protests have prompted intense debates over free speech, campus safety and how to define antisemitism and support for Palestinian rights.
Rights organizations and observers say the Gaza assault since late 2023 has killed tens of thousands, created a severe humanitarian crisis and displaced large parts of the population; multiple rights experts, scholars and a U.N. inquiry have said the conduct may amount to genocide. Israel says its actions were in self‑defense after Hamas‑led militants killed about 1,200 people and took roughly 250 hostages in their 2023 attack.
Advocates also note a rise in both antisemitism and Islamophobia since the start of the war, and civil‑liberties groups have warned that efforts to deport foreign protesters raise serious free‑speech and due‑process concerns.
Next steps: The AG's office said Betar has indicated plans to dissolve its not‑for‑profit corporation and is in the process of winding down its New York operations. The settlement will allow enforcement of the suspended penalty if Betar fails to comply.
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