Attorney General shuts down 'extremist' group with Katonah ties

KATONAH, N.Y. - Earlier this week, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a settlement with Betar US, ending what her office described as a campaign of violence, harassment, and intimidation targeting Arab, Muslim, Palestinian, and Jewish New Yorkers.

The settlement follows a months-long investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), which found that the New York-based group repeatedly engaged in bias-motivated conduct in violation of state civil rights laws.

Betar, which the Anti-Defamation League has labeled an extremist organization, maintained an address in Katonah, according to documentation provided by OAG. Investigators found that the group encouraged violence, threatened protesters, and sought to intimidate individuals based on religion and national origin, particularly in connection with protests related to Israel and Palestine.

Under the agreement, Betar must immediately stop instigating or encouraging violence, harassing protesters, or threatening individuals exercising their civil rights. The organization agreed to a suspended $50,000 penalty that will be enforced if it violates the settlement and must submit annual compliance reports for three years. Betar has also indicated that it is dissolving its nonprofit corporation and winding down operations in New York.

The OAG launched its investigation in March 2025 after receiving multiple complaints alleging violent and threatening behavior by Betar members. The investigation uncovered extensive evidence of anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, and anti-Palestinian rhetoric, including the use of slurs and online content celebrating civilian deaths and calling for further violence. Investigators also found that Betar targeted Jewish individuals who expressed opposing views, including threatening to place activists on lists to intimidate or restrict travel.

The investigation documented incidents of physical intimidation and assault, including Betar-affiliated individuals attempting to force “beepers” onto people perceived to be Muslim or supportive of Palestinian causes, a tactic meant to terrorize victims. In other incidents, members harassed students, threatened academics, and encouraged followers to bring weapons, including knives and attack dogs, to protests. Violence broke out at a February 2025 protest in Brooklyn after Betar urged supporters to “fight back,” during which at least one person was stabbed.

Attorney General James said the conduct uncovered by her office represented a disturbing pattern of bias-motivated harassment and violence designed to silence free expression. The settlement permanently bars Betar from engaging in such conduct and allows OAG to pursue immediate enforcement and additional penalties if the group violates the agreement.

The announcement was met with dissaproval from the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA).

“James should be pursuing the actual extremist groups that harass and attack Jews and call for the death of every Jew,” said national president Morton Klein in an interview with Jewish News Syndicate. 

Klein went on to further say that the Attorney General's “aggressive pursuit of Betar and resulting settlement agreement sends a terrible message that defending Jews makes one an ‘extremist'" and it will "encourage more attacks on Jews and discourage Jewish self-defense."