Three Israelis sitting at a New York beach faced harassment from an anti-Israeli activist after she spotted a Star of David necklace on one of them. The incident was filmed last week, and despite the unpleasantness, the Israelis maintained their composure.
"Were you in Gaza? Did you fight children? Did you kill children in Gaza?" the harasser was heard asking the Israeli while filming. One of them confirmed he served in the IDF and was stationed in Gaza. The woman sitting next to him added, "He went to Gaza to help all the children that your people killed."
Video: Three Israeli tourists experienced targeted harassment from an anti-Israeli activist / Credit: Usage under Israel's Intellectual Property Law Article 27(a)
She then asked if he was proud of his service. The Israeli smiled and replied, "I'm proud to serve my country," which intensified her anger. "Do you think what you're doing in Gaza makes your country safer?"
"Absolutely yes," he responded, reminding her of the October 7 Hamas attack in which more than 1,200 people were murdered. The second man invited her to sit with them for a conversation, but she refused. He asked her if she had ever been to Gaza. "I can't enter Gaza, your people won't let me."
"If you go there now, dressed like that, they'll slaughter you," he said, pointing to her bikini. "That's not true!" she yelled back.
At this point, a lifeguard approached the scene and tried to mediate. The harasser claimed the Israelis had insulted her and that these were IDF soldiers who "killed people in Gaza." After more back-and-forth, one of the Israelis concluded, "Just leave us alone." The harasser called for "Free Palestine" and left.
