Real Estate Developer Charged with Felony Assault in Pro-Palestinian Protest Clash

In New York City, a real estate developer named Reuven Kahane has been charged with felony assault following an altercation involving a pro-Palestinian demonstration organized by students associated with Columbia University’s protest movement. According to witnesses and a spokesperson from the New York Police Department, Kahane drove his car into a 55-year-old safety marshal during the protest. Though the woman sustained minor injuries and was subsequently arrested alongside another demonstrator, both were later released without charges. Kahane, who claimed no connection to the Jewish Defense League, a group founded by his cousin Rabbi Meir Kahane, declined to comment further on the matter. The police stated that the arrest occurred after a dispute between Kahane and protesters, though Kahane is not accused of attempting to hit multiple individuals. Members of the protest claimed that Kahane drove through a designated crossing point, causing Maryellen Novak, one of the volunteers, to jump onto the hood of the car to prevent him from moving forward. Novak and another safety volunteer were taken into custody by the police. This event follows last week’s police raid on Columbia University, which resulted in the evacuation of a student encampment protesting Israeli policies. The student organization Columbia University Apartheid Divest labeled the incident as an example of anti-Palestinian violence, citing previous occurrences in Israel and the United States.