Movements denouncing the genocide in Gaza target Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, seen as a representative of New York’s financial elite and powerful pro-Israel lobby.
NEW YORK, September 24, 2026 — As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepared to address the United Nations General Assembly inside the UN headquarters, protests erupted in the streets of Midtown Manhattan. The New York Police Department deployed its Strategic Response Group (SRG) in force to contain sit-ins and arrest more than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators. Officers surrounded and blocked a sit-in organized by the anti-Zionist group Jewish Voice for Peace along First Avenue. Among those arrested were Academy Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon, actress Hannah Einbinder and activist Chelsea Manning.
Protesters Target Jessica Tisch
Following the arrests, protesters directed their anger at NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators and organizations accuse her of maintaining a repressive approach toward protests against the war in Gaza. Their criticism also recalls the events at Columbia University in 2024, when police moved to clear student encampments in solidarity with Palestinians, arresting numerous demonstrators.
Tisch, a member of one of New York’s wealthiest families with ties to Jewish philanthropy, has openly expressed her support for Israel. To the protesters, she represents the links between city institutions, the financial elite and pro-Israel circles. In a city home to the largest Jewish community outside Israel, the issue carries significant political weight.
The Political Dilemma Facing Mamdani’s Administration
Mamdani is New York’s first openly anti-Zionist mayor and has received substantial support from Jewish voters critical of the Israeli government. Netanyahu’s visit to the United Nations is testing the political promises that brought Mamdani to City Hall.
On the one hand, the mayor has taken a hard line against the Israeli prime minister, calling him a war criminal and accusing him of being responsible for the genocide in Gaza. On the other, responsibility for security during the protests remained with the NYPD, which arrested demonstrators as Netanyahu prepared to address the UN.
The contrast between the mayor’s political position and the police response risks fueling discontent among his supporters. For movements demanding a break with Zionism and institutional support for Israel, the arrests represent a test of the new administration and its ability to translate campaign promises into concrete action.
