Jewish family is subjected to anti-Semitic abuse in New Jersey’s American Dream Mall

A Jewish family of four was subjected to foul-mouthed harassment at the American Dream Mall in New Jersey on New Year’s Day, according to video of the incident shared by a watchdog group.

The Jewish couple and their children, ages 12 and 16, were the target of screaming abuse hurled by two pro-Palestinian supporters at the mall in East Rutherford, the video showed.

StopAntisemitism, the watchdog group that shared the video, said the abuse was triggered by the 16-year-old daughter’s sweatshirt, which showed support for the Israeli Defense Force.

‘Free Palestine, f***ing die b***h,’ a young woman is heard screaming at the family in the video, as the Jewish father holds his arm out to separate the aggressors from his wife and children.

The full circumstances of the incident are not clear from the video clip, or a second brief clip which the watchdog group says shows the harassers slapping the Jewish mother’s phone out of her hand.

A Jewish family of four was subjected to foul-mouthed harassment at the American Dream Mall in New Jersey, according to video of the incident shared by a watchdog group

A representative for American Dream Mall did not immediately respond to an inquiry from DailyMail.com on Tuesday morning. The East Rutherford Police Department referred questions to the New Jersey State Police, which could not be immediately reached for comment.

StopAntisemitism Executive Director Liora Rez told DailyMail.com in a statement: ‘Incidents like these contribute to a violent atmosphere that has propelled antisemitic hate crimes to new highs. They must be universally condemned if we are ever to return to public discourse that does not target or threaten Jews.’

Rez attributed the incident to the ‘Free Palestine’ movement, which she said ‘has generated so much hatred and division in America that a Jewish family can’t walk through a shopping mall without being accosted.’

The video of the incident posted on X shows the confrontation already underway, with a young man and woman screaming at the family. 

‘Leave her alone, leave her alone!’ the Jewish father is heard saying as he steps in between the Palestinian supporters and his family. 

The Jewish mother, who appears to be filming the incident, is heard saying: ‘You’re attacking me, you attacked me and dropped my phone!’

The female aggressor responds: ‘You’re recording me without my permission! It’s free Palestine, die f***ing die b***h! Free Palestine die f***ing die b***h! Free Palestine, you should be embarrassed you’re supporting genocide!’

The Jewish father is seen herding his family away from the abusive rant, and shouting back ‘What genocide?’ 

‘Leave her alone, leave her alone,’ the dad is heard saying. ‘Leave this s**t alone.’

The Jewish mother chimes in: ‘You’re cursing my child! You’re cursing my child!’

‘I’m cursing you,’ says the male harasser. ‘I’m cursing you and your bulls**t husband.’ 

‘Free Palestine, f***ing die b***h,’ a young woman is heard screaming at the family in the video

The female harasser goes on to say she is also a minor. The confrontation devolves into a screaming match that is difficult to clearly hear, as the Jewish mother questions whether the harassers have ever been to the Palestinian territories.

‘There’s no such thing as Palestine, it’s a made up lie!’ the Jewish mother is heard shouting before the video clip ends. 

The disturbing incident is the latest example of flaring tensions in the US since Hamas launched its October 7 attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 and taking hundreds more hostage.

Israel responded with air strikes and a ground invasion of Gaza, which the enclave’s Hamas-led health ministry says has killed at least 22,000. 

Israeli airstrikes have reduced much of the territory to rubble and engulfed its 2.3 million residents in a humanitarian crisis, in which many thousands have been left displaced and threatened by famine due to a lack of food supplies. 

In the US, the Justice Department has said it was monitoring rising threats against Jews and Muslims in the United States due to soaring levels of antisemitism and Islamophobia linked to the war in the Middle East.

In early December, FBI Director Christopher Wray said the threat level was so elevated that he saw ‘blinking lights everywhere.’