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A peaceful afternoon on a New York beach took a jarring turn when an anti-Israel activist launched a verbal tirade against a former Israeli soldier, simply for wearing a Star of David necklace.
The incident, captured on video and posted by ILTV Israel News, shows the activist shouting accusations and interrogating the man and his friends in an increasingly heated exchange.
“Yesterday, an unhinged pro-Hamas protester targeted a former IDF soldier on a New York beach, simply for wearing a Star of David,” the outlet captioned the clip on Instagram.
“Despite her shouting and offensive behavior, the Israelis stayed calm, respectful, and composed. The only hate in that video came from one side as usual and it wasn’t theirs,” the post continued.
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A heated exchange was captured on video as an anti-Israel activist demanded answers about military service in Gaza. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
In the video, the activist approaches a man sitting on a towel with a woman and another man, accusing him of war crimes.
“You went to Gaza, right? You fought children? You killed children in Gaza?” she shouts at him.
Both men calmly answered her questions. One of them confirmed he served in the Israel Defense Forces and had been stationed in Gaza. The woman he’s sitting with adds, “He went to Gaza to help all the children that your people killed.”
As the woman continues filming and yelling, one of the men attempts to de-escalate.
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People visit the beach at Coney Island over Labor Day Weekend on Sept. 4, 2021, in the Brooklyn Borough of New York City. (Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
“So if you want to see a picture of [my brother] over there right now, I can show you what’s going on.”
The protester screams back, demanding to see it.
“Please show me a picture of your brother in Gaza, please do. Please. The world wants to see your faces. The world does want to see your faces!” she screams at him.
She then asks if he is proud of his service. Smiling, he replies, “I’m proud of serving my country.”
That only fuels her anger. “You think killing other people and radicalizing them makes your people safer?” she shouts.
He calmly fires back, bringing up the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack, in which over 1,200 Israelis were slaughtered and hundreds taken hostage.
The man invites her to have a real conversation. She refuses.
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Palestinian Hamas terrorists during a hostage-prisoner swap between Hamas and Israel, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, Feb. 22, 2025. (Reuters/Hatem Khaled/File Photo)
He asks if she’s ever been to Gaza.
“I cannot go to Gaza,” she replies. “Your people are not letting me.”
“If you go there right now, dressed like that, they’ll slaughter you,” he says, pointing to her bikini.
“That’s not true!” she screams back.
A lifeguard eventually approaches, attempting to mediate. The protester claims the Israelis insulted her and that they are IDF soldiers who “killed people in Gaza.”
“Insulted you? How did I insult you?” the man asks, still calm.
He again offers to talk — she declines.
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“Why would I want to talk to your guys? You guys have killed my people! You’re killing children,” she yells. “Why are you sitting with people who kill children? Is that cool for you?” she asks the other man sitting in the group.
“Just leave us alone,” the man replies.
As she walks away, she shouts one final slogan: “Free Palestine!”
Fox News Digital reached out to the New York City Parks Department for comment on the incident but did not receive a response.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com