NJ Man Pardoned Of Assault Charge After Clash Outside West Orange Synagogue

This article was updated on Jan. 21

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Former New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has pardoned an Essex County man who was accused of assault after a clash between pro-Israel and pro-Palestine supporters outside a synagogue in West Orange two years ago.

On Tuesday, Murphy announced a final wave of clemency actions before leaving the governor’s office. Among those receiving a pardon were Moshe Glick, who was charged with aggravated assault and weapon offenses in 2024.

In a press statement, Glick said the governor’s actions are not a commutation of any sentence, as he was never convicted of any crime. However, the pardon ends a “deep injustice” and frees him from wrongful prosecution, Glick added.

“This victory isn't just mine – it's for every Jew and any individual in this country who might face similar threats to our safety and religious freedom,” Glick said.

The politically linked chaos erupted in November 2024, and has since spawned claims of bias from both sides, as well as federal charges against several pro-Palestine protesters.

>> READ MORE: Feds Accuse Pro-Palestine Protesters Of Instigating Controversial Clash

Demonstrators said they were protesting a real estate seminar about buying property in Jerusalem, which they claimed is “stolen land.” Federal prosecutors have characterized the gathering as an “Israel real estate fair and ‘Ruach’ (spiritual) event.”

According to the U.S. Justice Department, the event was initially slated to take place at a private home near Ellis Street and Forest Avenue. The location was moved to a nearby synagogue – Congregation Ohr Torah – amid security concerns after someone hand-delivered a letter demanding cancellation of the event to one of the organizer’s homes.

On Nov. 13, dozens of demonstrators gathered at the intersection, eventually marching toward the synagogue a few blocks away. Prosecutors allege that the protesters “surged” through a police line set up at a nearby fire station and marched onto the synagogue’s front lawn sounding vuvuzelas: long, thin horns.

Prosecutors said that multiple protesters blew their horns close to one of the organizers, Glick, causing him to swat the instruments away. One of the pro-Palestine demonstrators, Altaf Sharif, allegedly squared off with Glick and “charged towards him” – which caused another pro-Israel supporter, David Silberberg, to pepper spray Sharif in his eyes.

According to prosecutors, another pro-Palestine demonstrator – Eric Camins – allegedly called out “The Jew is here!” and pointed at Silberberg. Sharif then went after Silberberg, put him in a neck hold, threw him to the ground and dragged him down a hill toward the synagogue’s parking lot, authorities alleged.

The tussle continued, with several bystanders grouping around the two, including Glick, who eventually hit Sharif with a flashlight in an attempt to loosen his hold on Silberberg – leaving a large cut on his head.

The New Jersey chapter of the Council on Islamic-American Relations (CAIR-NJ) previously called for bias charges to be filed against the counter-protesters, and said its members “strongly condemn” the incident, which left Sharif hospitalized.

Selaedin Maksut, the group’s executive director, said the case should be prosecuted “to the full extent of the law.”

“No one should be targeted for practicing their right to free speech and assembly, especially those advocating for human rights and justice,” Maksut urged. “We call on our state’s elected leaders to condemn this hate crime and let it be known that anti-Palestinian hate will not be tolerated in our state.”

The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office eventually filed charges against Glick and Silberberg, charging them each with aggravated assault, bias intimidation and weapons offenses.

Article continues below

Federal prosecutors have disputed protesters’ claims, however, accusing Sharif of putting Silberberg in a “chokehold” and pointing to video surveillance footage that captured parts of the scuffle (see photos below).

The Justice Department is accusing the protesters of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act), a federal law passed during the Clinton administration in 1994.

Among other things, the law prohibits “intentionally injuring, intimidating, or interfering with, or attempting to injure, intimidate, or interfere, any person by force, threat of force, or physical obstruction exercising or seeking to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship.”

Federal prosecutors have named several protesters in their civil complaint, including Sharif, Camins, Tova Fry, who allegedly delivered the letter to Glick’s home prior to the protest, another protester, Matt Dragon, and two unknown “Jane and John Does,” one of whom allegedly set off a stink bomb in the area.

Prosecutors have also named two local advocacy groups – the New Jersey chapter of the National Party for Socialism and Liberation, and the New Jersey chapter of American Muslims for Palestine – accusing them of helping to organize and promote the protest.

“The defendants’ actions were motivated by the religious nature of the event and the Jewish identity – both as a race and religion – of the worshipers, as evidenced by antisemitic statements like ‘The Jew is here’ and the targeting of Glick’s prayer space and Congregation Ohr Torah, a synagogue,” prosecutors alleged.

The Justice Department’s complaint seeks a permanent injunction to ban the defendants from coming within a 50-foot buffer zone of Congregation Ohr Torah’s main entrance or Glick’s home, and prohibiting them from “organizing, participating in, or promoting any demonstration within 500 feet of Congregation Ohr Torah or any other place of religious worship in the District of New Jersey during religious services or events, without a valid permit, where such demonstration is intended to disrupt or intimidate worshipers.”

Federal prosecutors are asking for a $31,670 civil penalty against each defendant for the first violation of the FACE Act, and a $52,786 penalty for each subsequent violation.

Prosecutors are also calling for statutory compensatory damages for each person who was “intimidated or prevented from attending the religious event on Nov. 13, 2024.”

REACTIONS TO GOVERNOR PARDON

CAIR-NJ criticized the pardon in a statement on Wednesday, saying that it “undermines accountability and raises serious concerns about equal justice and the rule of law.”

“This is not about politics – it is about principle,” executive director Selaedin Maksut said.

“Selective accountability – especially in cases touching public safety – weakens confidence in our justice system,” Maksut said. “The prosecutors were doing the right thing, and Gov. Murphy stifled justice from taking its course.”

In the meanwhile, Glick has continued to maintain his innocence, pleading not guilty last week during a court appearance that drew a crowd of supporters.

“This was never about crime – it was about gross overreach, selective prosecution and an attempt to criminalize Jewish self-defense amid rising antisemitism,” Glick said.

Murphy’s pardon brings the matter to a “full and final close,” he said Tuesday, thanking his family, friends, community, rabbis and MetroWest New Jersey for supporting him since 2024.

“This ordeal dragged on for over a year, with the threat of prison hanging over us, inflicting an indescribable financial, mental and emotional toll,” Glick said. “The fear, the uncertainty, the strain on every aspect of our lives. It was overwhelming and life-altering.”

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.