U.S. Sues Pro-Palestine Demonstrators who Assaulted Jews at Synagogue
Historic DOJ lawsuit uses FACE Act to protect synagogue worship, targeting Party for Socialism and Liberation and American Muslims for Palestine activists for assaulting Jews in New Jersey
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a civil lawsuit against pro-Palestinian activists and organizations, marking the first time the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act has been used to protect religious worship at a synagogue. The September 29, 2025 filing is aimed at the Party for Socialism and Liberation-New Jersey (PSL), American Muslims for Palestine-New Jersey (AMP), and six individuals for their alleged intimidation and assault of Jewish worshipers during a November 13, 2024 incident at Congregation Ohr Torah in West Orange, New Jersey.
The November 2024 Incident
The events that precipitated the federal lawsuit began with what was initially planned as a private religious gathering. Dr. Moshe Glick, a healthcare professional, had organized an event to be held at his home in a designated prayer space. The gathering was to include a memorial service for Rabbi Avi Goldberg, Torah study, and what organizers described as an Israel real estate fair.
However, the event never took place as planned. According to the federal complaint, defendant Tova Fry, also known as Terry Kay, was captured on Glick’s Ring camera delivering a threatening letter signed by AMP and other organizations. The document demanded cancellation of the event and threatened legal action. Fry was also photographed taking pictures of Glick’s residence, which prosecutors argue demonstrated intent to disseminate his address to facilitate further intimidation.
Social media posts subsequently publicized Glick’s home address as a protest location, prompting organizers to relocate the event to Congregation Ohr Torah synagogue in coordination with local law enforcement and private security. The decision came after a violent protest organized by similar groups had disrupted an event in Bergenfield, New Jersey just six days earlier.
Violence at the Synagogue
When approximately 50 masked protesters learned of the venue change, they marched to the synagogue carrying vuvuzelas — instruments that can cause permanent hearing damage and are banned at many sporting events due to their potential as weapons. The complaint details how protesters “surged through” a police line after officers requested they remain at a nearby fire station.
The most serious allegations center on the actions of defendant Altaf Sharif. According to court documents, after Glick defended himself from having a vuvuzela blown directly in his ear, Sharif became “visibly enraged” and charged at the 65-year-old physician. When David Silberberg, another attendee, used pepper spray to stop Sharif’s assault on Glick, defendant Eric Camins allegedly pointed at Silberberg and shouted “The Jew is here!”
What followed, according to prosecutors, was a brutal assault. Sharif allegedly placed Silberberg in a chokehold, dragged him down a hill on synagogue property, and “drilled” his head into the ground. The attack only ended when Glick struck Sharif with a flashlight in defense of Silberberg’s life. An unidentified protester also deployed a stink bomb during the confrontation.
Throughout the incident, protesters chanted threatening messages including “You’re next!” and “Moshe Glick you can’t hide!” — language the DOJ characterizes as direct threats intended to intimidate Jewish worshipers. Clips shared of the violent protest from Juda Lebow on X can be seen below:
Legal Precedent and Strategy
The lawsuit represents a significant expansion in the application of the FACE Act, which was enacted in 1994 primarily to protect access to reproductive health clinics. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon acknowledged this was the first time the Justice Department has used the law against demonstrators outside a house of worship.
“No American should be harassed, targeted, or discriminated against for peacefully practicing their religion,” stated Attorney General Pamela Bondi in announcing the lawsuit. The federal complaint seeks both monetary damages and injunctive relief, including the establishment of 50-foot buffer zones around both the synagogue and Glick’s residence.
The DOJ is requesting civil penalties of $31,670 for each defendant’s first FACE Act violation and $52,786 for subsequent violations, along with compensatory damages for affected individuals. The complaint also seeks a permanent injunction barring unpermitted demonstrations within 500 feet of any place of religious worship in New Jersey during religious services.
Organizations Named in the Suit
American Muslims for Palestine, one of the groups named in the suit, has faced considerable scrutiny following Congressional investigations into what lawmakers describe as “extensive” ties to Hamas.
Senate HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy launched a formal investigation in March 2025, citing AMP’s alleged connections to at least nine individuals with ties to Hamas-associated organizations. The investigation centers on AMP’s current executive director, Osama Abuirshaid, who previously worked as editor of the Islamic Association for Palestine’s newspaper and has published interviews with Hamas leaders.
Research by George Washington University’s Program on Extremism suggests AMP was created as a successor organization to the Islamic Association for Palestine, which was founded with startup money from Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzook and provided services to the Holy Land Foundation — a charity shut down by the U.S. government for funneling $12.4 million to Hamas.
The organizational lineage has spawned ongoing litigation. The family of David Boim, killed in a Hamas attack, won a $156 million judgment against IAP and is now pursuing AMP in federal court, arguing AMP represents IAP’s continuation under a new name. A federal judge ruled in 2022 that sufficient evidence exists for the case to proceed.
According to Senate investigation documents, AMP leadership includes multiple individuals with documented ties to Hamas-linked organizations, including board member Salah Sarsour, who raised funds for the Holy Land Foundation, and former executive director Abdelbaset Hamayel, who served as secretary general of IAP.
The other organization named in the DOJ lawsuit, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, has recently generated significant controversy beyond these charges. Most notably, as Jewish Onliner previously reported, the organization has been linked to Elias Rodriguez, the Chicago resident who shot and killed two Israeli embassy staffers, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, in Washington D.C. earlier this year.
Liberation News, PSL’s newspaper outlet, had previously identified Rodriguez as being “from the Party for Socialism and Liberation” in a 2017 article that was quickly taken offline after the attack. PSL Chicago, meanwhile, has hosted events glorifying designated terrorist leaders including PFLP’s Leila Khaled and has shared flyers calling to “Exterminate Zionists.”
Broader Context and Legal Implications
The DOJ’s unprecedented application of the FACE Act to protect synagogue worship represents a significant shift in federal enforcement strategy under the current administration. This expansion comes as religious communities nationwide have reported increased security concerns and incidents of harassment. Legal experts suggest this case could establish important precedent for federal protection of all religious worship sites and may signal a broader strategy to combat escalating threats against faith-based institutions.
The lawsuit’s outcome could influence how federal authorities respond to future incidents and potentially establish the FACE Act as a standard tool to protect houses of worship nationwide, setting new boundaries between protected demonstration and criminal interference with religious freedom.