Protesters gather in New York, Tel Aviv for Netanyahu, Biden meeting

Protesters shouted “Democracy” and held Israeli flags outside the Manhattan hotel where President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met for the first time since the government was sworn in at the end of December.

Top on the two leaders’ agenda was advancing normalization between Israel and the Saudi kingdom, as Iran continues to enrich uranium close to weapons grade. Netanyahu and Biden’s closed-door meeting last night lasted for about 50 minutes.

The protest, which was expected to be chaotic, was instead described as powerful and peaceful. “It felt like there were hundreds of people [there]. When I arrived at the hotel lobby of the Intercontinental, where Bibi and President Biden were meeting, many people in the lobby commented on how powerful and civilized the protest was. They expected mayhem, but were pleasantly surprised,” Roberta Franco Glick, 58, told The Jerusalem Post from New York.

Across the world, hundreds gathered outside of the US embassies, including in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, where protesters showed up in scores. “The Student Protest Movement, and other protesters, have gathered outside US embassies in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to send a clear message: the world must not stand by as Israel’s government works to dismantle Israeli democracy,” the student movement said in a statement. “When only a narrow coalition of Israel’s leadership controls all branches of government, Israel cannot remain a democratic nation,” the statement continued.

In New York, some protesters placed photographs of Netanyahu dressed in a prison uniform at the entrance of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where Biden is hosting world leaders who are in town for the UN General Assembly meeting.

Protests draw several movements to demonstrate

“I was proud to help kick off the week of protests as Prime Minister Netanyahu comes to NYC for the UNGA,” Rabbi Josh Weinberg, the Union for Reform Judaism’s vice president for Israel and Reform Zionism, told the Post. He emphasized the importance of protesting in an effort to halt the coalition’s actions.

“I am often asked why it’s important to me, and for Diaspora Jews, to come out and protest. It’s important because we care deeply about Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people, and are committed to Israel as both Jewish and democratic.

“Second, it’s important that the prime minister not be able to say to his citizens and constituents that he was received like a king in the US, and that he understands that the legislative agenda of his coalition is causing him to become persona non grata,” Weinberg said.

“It’s critically important to demonstrate our support and solidarity with the protest movement in Israel,” he added.

Zoe Dressner-Wolberg, 24, a rabbinical student, also joined the protests as Netanyahu arrived in the city. “As a Reform Zionist and rabbinical student, I’m proud to be protesting this week in New York alongside Israelis and my fellow American Jews,” she said. “I hope that Netanyahu will hear our calls for democracy and equality in Israel. American Jews stand against this extremist government, and we will continue to protest as long as it takes!”