Exclusive | NY pols pitch outlawing protests near houses of worship— after hateful anti-Israel mob descended on synagogue

New York lawmakers want to ban protests within 25 feet of houses of worship — in the aftermath of a hateful protest where a mob of anti-Israel demonstrators descended on a Manhattan synagogue chanting “death to the IDF.”

Legislation introduced by Assemblyman Micah Lasher (D-Manhattan) and Sen. Sam Sutton (D-Brooklyn) would outlaw demonstrations from taking place within 25 feet of the entrance, driveway or parking lot of a religious sanctuary.

Violators would face being charged with the crime of criminal interference with access to a place of religious worship in the first degree — a Class A misdemeanor — punishable by up to 1 year in prison.

The same 25 foot buzzer zone would apply to abortion clinics, with a potential charge of criminal interference with health care services, also punishable by up to 1 year in prison for lawbreakers.

“New York must always be a place where people can both exercise free speech and express their religious identity without fear or intimidation, and that balance broke down outside Park East Synagogue,” said Lasher, who is running for Congress in the 12th House District that includes the Park East Synagogue.

The historic Jewish temple on the Upper East Side was the site of a demonstration where hundreds of protesters chanted hateful slogans such as “globalize the intifada” and a speaker urged the “resistance” to “take another settler out.”

“This bill will help our city government and other localities across the state ensure that New Yorkers are able to enter houses of worship without having to run a gauntlet of hate speech. Simple decency and mutual respect demands nothing less,” said Sutton, who reps the heavily Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods of Borough Park and Midwood in southern Brooklyn.

The bill is being co-sponsored by Sen. Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan), whose district includes the Park East Synagogue, and Assemblywoman Nily Rozic (D-Queens).

“Houses of worship should serve as peaceful sanctuaries, not punching bags for protestors. Every New Yorker, no matter their faith, deserves to worship and gather in peace. I’m grateful to Assemblymember Lasher for carrying this legislation, and I’m proud to stand with him in support of it,” Rozic said.

The measure is supported by the UFA Federation of NY.

“The ability to worship freely and without fear is fundamental to who we are as a nation,” said  UJA executive director Eric Goldstein. “No one should ever face intimidation or see their synagogue – or any house of worship – targeted by protests meant to disrupt or instill fear. We are deeply grateful to Senator Sutton and Assembly Member Lasher for their leadership and commitment to protecting all those who come together in sacred communal spaces.”