'Extremist Group' Based In Katonah Agrees To Halt NY Campaign Of Hate-Based Harassment: AG

KATONAH, NY — A settlement with the state has effectively ended an extremist group's reach in New York, according to the New York Attorney General's Office.

New York Attorney General Letitia James has announced the settlement ending Betar US's campaign of violence, harassment, and intimidation against Arab, Muslim, and Jewish New Yorkers. The action came after an investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that the group repeatedly targeted individuals based on religion and national origin.

Betar is a New York-based organization, with an official address in Katonah, labeled an "extremist group" by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for its "embrace of Islamophobia and harass[ment] of Muslims."

The investigation uncovered evidence of Betar's widespread persecution of Muslim, Arab, Palestinian, and Jewish New Yorkers, driven by broad hostility and animus toward several protected groups, in violation of New York civil rights laws, according to the OAG.

"New York will not tolerate organizations that use fear, violence, and intimidation to silence free expression or target people because of who they are," James said. "My office's investigation uncovered an alarming and illegal pattern of bias-motivated harassment and violence designed to terrorize communities and shut down lawful protest. This behavior is unacceptable, and it is not who we are as New Yorkers. My office will continue to use every tool available to protect all New Yorkers' civil rights and public safety."

The settlement requires Betar to immediately cease instigating or encouraging violence against individuals, threatening protesters, and harassing individuals exercising their civil rights, and subjects the organization to a suspended $50,000 penalty that will be enforced if Betar violates the agreement. Betar is seeking to dissolve its not-for-profit corporation and has indicated that it is winding down operations in New York, according to the AG.

The OAG launched an investigation in March 2025 after receiving multiple complaints alleging that Betar and its members engaged in violent and threatening conduct directed at Muslim, Arab, Palestinian, and Jewish individuals, particularly in connection with protests related to Israel and Palestine.

Betar is a not-for-profit organization that describes itself as an "activist movement" and has publicly called on supporters to "attend and disrupt" pro-Palestinian protests, according to details in the settlement.

Despite soliciting donations in New York through its website and social media, Betar has never registered with OAG's Charities Bureau, investigators said.

The OAG investigation found that Betar engaged in a pattern of violence and harassment driven by explicit hostility toward protected groups. Investigators uncovered public and private statements by Betar leadership and members expressing anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab, and anti-Muslim animus, including repeated use of slurs and demeaning language. For example, members repeatedly referred to keffiyehs – traditional Palestinian scarves – as "rape rags," and claimed that Muslims "hate America." Betar publicly circulated content celebrating violence against Palestinians, including social media posts mocking civilian deaths, declaring hatred toward Gazans, and calling for further bloodshed. In one instance, the group posted that the number of babies who had died in Gaza was "not enough," writing, "we demand blood in Gaza."

The investigation also determined that Betar targeted Jewish individuals who expressed views that the group opposed. Betar threatened to place Jewish activists on lists to be shared with foreign authorities in an effort to bar them from travel and intimidate them into silence.

Investigators uncovered evidence showing multiple incidents of physical intimidation and assault. In early 2025, Betar-affiliated individuals repeatedly approached people perceived to be Muslim or supportive of Palestinian causes and attempted to force "beepers" onto them, an act intended to threaten and terrorize, referencing a recent overseas operation involving explosive pagers. At one New York City university, a Betar member repeatedly harassed students wearing hijabs or keffiyehs, following them and demanding they accept a beeper despite their visible distress.

In another incident, a Betar member followed a Jewish academic on a public street, forcibly shoved a beeper into his pocket against his will, and verbally abused him, according to investigators. The OAG found that Betar members repeatedly threatened academics with ongoing harassment and explicitly warned at least one that Betar followers would come to their home.

The OAG investigation found that Betar promoted and encouraged violence, even urging its members to bring weapons to protests, including knives, pepper spray, and attack dogs. Ahead of a Feb. 18, 2025 protest in Brooklyn, Betar called on supporters to "fight back" against what it labeled "terrorists" and urged followers to bring pit bulls.

Violence erupted at that protest, during which at least one person was stabbed.

Betar boasted online that protesters had been beaten, and privately celebrated injuries inflicted during the event, according to the AG.

James asserts that Betar's conduct has consistently violated New York's civil rights laws, including statutes that prohibit bias-motivated violence, harassment, and intimidation, as well as discrimination against individuals exercising their rights to protest and engage in peaceful assembly.

Under the agreement announced this week, Betar is permanently barred from instigating or encouraging violence, physically assaulting or threatening individuals, harassing protesters, or damaging others' property based on protected characteristics. James agreed to a suspended $50,000 monetary penalty, which will be enforced if the organization violates the agreement, and must submit annual compliance reports to OAG for three years.

If Betar fails to comply, Attorney General James may immediately pursue enforcement, additional penalties, and further legal action.