New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a settlement on Tuesday with Betar US, a far-right pro-Israel group, following an investigation that found the organisation engaged in “bias-motivated assaults, threats, and harassment targeting Muslim, Arab, Palestinian, and Jewish New Yorkers”.
The settlement requires Betar to “immediately cease instigating or encouraging violence against individuals, threatening protesters, and harassing individuals exercising their civil rights”. It also imposes a suspended $50,000 penalty that will be enforced if the group violates the terms. James’s office said Betar is seeking to dissolve its not-for-profit corporation and winding down operations in New York.
The investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that Betar – labelled an “extremist group” by the Anti-Defamation League – “repeatedly targeted individuals based on religion and national origin” and engaged in “widespread persecution of Muslim, Arab, Palestinian, and Jewish New Yorkers, driven by broad hostility and animus toward several protected groups, in violation of New York civil rights laws”.
Betar spokesperson Daniel Levy said the group “categorically denies all allegations of wrongdoing” and remains “steadfast in its commitment to Zionism, the Jewish people, and the State of Israel”. The group posted on social media that it “voluntarily withdrew from operating in NY and advises all Zionist and Zionist organizations to do the same”.
The OAG investigation began in March 2025 after complaints about violent and threatening conduct at protests related to Israel and Palestine. It found evidence of physical intimidation and assault, including incidents where individuals affiliated with Betar approached people “perceived to be Muslim or supportive of Palestinian causes” and attempted to force “beepers” onto them – a reference to Israel’s 2024 operation against Hezbollah.
