New York, New York — New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Tuesday a settlement with Betar U.S., a right-wing Jewish organization she accused of harassing and intimidating pro-Palestinian activists, requiring the group to dissolve its New York nonprofit operations or face significant financial penalties.
Under the agreement, Betar U.S. must cease activities in New York that threaten or intimidate Muslim, Jewish, and Palestinian activists and wind down its state presence. The settlement includes a suspended $50,000 penalty and allows the state to impose fines of up to $80,000 if the group violates the terms. James’ office also said the organization failed to properly register with the New York Charities Bureau while soliciting donations.
The attorney general’s investigation found what it described as a pattern of bias-motivated harassment, including allegations that Betar compiled the names of campus protesters opposing the war in Gaza and shared them with Trump administration officials. The group also claimed to have used facial-recognition technology to identify masked activists and promoted confrontational protest tactics on social media.
The case gained renewed attention after federal immigration agents detained several campus activists last March, with a Homeland Security official later testifying that lists assembled by outside groups, including Betar, were used to identify targets. The activity drew condemnation from some Jewish organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League.
Betar chairman Ronn Torossian denied wrongdoing and said the New York entity is no longer active, arguing the group made no admission of guilt under the settlement. James said the agreement ensures New York will not tolerate intimidation or threats used to silence political expression.
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