March 14, 2024 (EIRNS)—The “Great Israeli Real Estate Event” was a traveling fair, with vendors offering residential property for sale across Israel, but also in at least three illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. Beginning with the first venue, at a synagogue in Montreal on March 5, the group, “Independent Jewish Voices of Montreal,” tried to stop the event before the doors were even opened. They sent an email to the synagogue indicating that the synagogue should be a “force for unity” and cancel this divisive event.
The synagogue responded that the group’s call for unity was “intimidation,” and allowed the fair to continue. When large crowds came to protest the land-grab, the synagogue had a Québec superior court issue a 10-day ban on any protests within 50 meters of the venue. Police closed local roads and set up barricades for crowd control. The protest grew larger at each venue that followed.
The biggest protests took place at the event in Teaneck, New Jersey, in part because of a video that went viral, of a local Jewish activist, Rich Siegel, passionately testifying at the Teaneck Township Council meeting, saying that the land-grab was recognized internationally as illegal, and would only lead to more violence. Protesters would declare victory, since the final event in Brooklyn, New York was canceled, due to security concerns. A popular chant at these protests was, “Settlers, settlers, what do you say? How much land did you steal today?”
