Pro-Palestine Protester Assaulted In West Orange, Group Alleges

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Prosecutors have filed charges against two people who allegedly assaulted a Muslim demonstrator at an Israel-Palestine protest in West Orange, authorities confirmed Wednesday.

A group of pro-Palestine activists held a rally near the intersection of Ellis Street and Forest Avenue on Nov. 13 to protest a seminar about buying property in Jerusalem. Several pro-Israel counter-demonstrators were also present at the scene. Read More: Palestine, Israel Supporters Have Tense Confrontation In West Orange

At some point in the evening, a pro-Palestine demonstrator from Bergen County was allegedly pepper-sprayed and hit with a flashlight, leaving a large cut on his head, according to a statement from the New Jersey chapter of the Council on Islamic-American Relations (CAIR-NJ).

The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office told Patch that two people have since been charged in connection with the incident: Solomon David Silberberg of Millburn, and Moshe A. Glick of West Orange. Both have been charged with aggravated assault, bias intimidation and weapons offenses.

CAIR-NJ said its members “strongly condemn” the assault, which left the 42-year-old man hospitalized.

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

“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,” Maksut urged.

An attorney representing the injured man said that he plans to pursue civil remedies, including monetary damages for physical and emotional injuries, punitive damages and lawyer fees.

“Mr. Glick denies all of the charges against him and is confident he will be vindicated once all of the facts come out,” an attorney who represents one of the accused told Patch.

An attorney representing Silberberg said his client is a "wonderful man" who is "highly respected in his community."

"We urge everyone to refrain from jumping to any conclusions simply because he was charged in connection with last November’s incident," he told NorthJersey.com.

ISRAEL-PALESTINE IN ESSEX COUNTY

Tensions over the Israel-Hamas war – which has claimed thousands of lives on both sides and caused heart-wrenching misery for others – are still boiling across the world, including Essex County.

In January, a group of pro-Palestine activists gathered on the sidewalk outside of Oheb Shalom on Scotland Road in South Orange to protest an event that the synagogue was hosting. The topic? Unit 669: the combat search and rescue unit of the Israeli Air Force.

According to a statement from South Orange’s mayor, the activists acted within the limits of their First Amendment rights at first. But someone allegedly crossed the line when they defaced the driveway with a “hateful” message – “Terrorists This Way” – along with an arrow pointing toward the synagogue. In addition, a “red liquid” – later confirmed not to be blood or anything biological in nature – was thrown onto a passing motorist’s vehicle, police said.

No assaults took place, authorities added.

The South Orange Police Department and the special victims unit of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office have launched an investigation into the incident as a bias crime.

Several elected officials labeled the incident as “hateful,” including Maplewood’s mayor and multiple town council members.

A social media post from SOMA for Palestine offered a different viewpoint about what happened, however, claiming that the demonstrators were there to protest the specific event – not the local Jewish community as a whole. Read More: Graffiti, Protest At South Orange Synagogue Sparks Outcry

Essex County has seen several other tense incidents involving the Israel-Hamas war since the latest escalation of the long-running conflict erupted in October 2023.

• See Related: One Of Nation’s Longest Pro-Palestine Protests Ends At Rutgers-Newark
• See Related: West Orange To Verona: Students Hold Walkout Over Israel-Hamas War
• See Related: Pro-Palestine Protester Faces Controversial Charges In Essex County

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