Rabbi Shmuley Boteach Harassed by Anti-Israel Activists While Skating in NYC

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach was harassed Monday evening by anti-Israel activists while skating in Manhattan, according to video posted by Boteach online.

In the video, several young men admit fist-bumping Boteach on the ice, then harassing him, and attempt to justify their behavior by claiming that he advocates for “genocide” and “apartheid” because he supports Israel’s war against Hamas.

I was skating in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, when an anti-Semitic, Israel, hating, pro Hamas thug, came over to me on the ice and screamed free Palestine, endangering me, as I was on the ice, and would not leave me alone. He said your name is Rabbi, Shuli, and you can’t… pic.twitter.com/sJ2fwp8Odg

— Rabbi Shmuley (@RabbiShmuley) December 26, 2023

Boteach, who is known for his writing on cultural topics and for his relationships with both Hollywood stars and politicians, is a recognizable figure, though rarely a target for abuse.

Lately, he has been harassed by anti-Israel activists throughout New York, including in Times Square.

https://t.co/PNwa4GifVG pic.twitter.com/fW332W3PFR

— Rabbi Shmuley (@RabbiShmuley) December 25, 2023

Though Boteach does not avoid debates, the confrontations appear to take place even when he is minding his own business, as he was on the ice.

There has been a dramatic rise in antisemitic attacks in the U.S. and around the world since Hamas launched a terror attack on Israel on October 7.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the new biography, Rhoda: ‘Comrade Kadalie, You Are Out of Order’. He is also the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.