Deportation Looms for Anti-Zionist Hasidic Jew Over Flag Protest in New York

A 35-year-old Israeli citizen and religious teacher is fighting deportation from the United States after participating in a protest against the display of an Israeli flag on a New York town hall. Yehonatan Ovadia, a member of the anti-Zionist Satmar Hasidic branch, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in August after his legal status was revoked. His lawyers argue the Trump administration is retaliating against his protected religious and political speech.

What happened with the Israeli flag in Ramapo?

The controversy began on Oct. 12, 2023, when Michael Specht, the Democratic supervisor of Ramapo in Rockland County, mounted a large Israeli flag on the town hall in solidarity with victims of the Hamas-led attacks that killed an estimated 1,200 Israelis. About a month later, as Israel's retaliatory strikes killed and displaced thousands in Gaza, residents opposed to the display held a demonstration.

Surveillance cameras captured four or five men in traditional Hasidic clothing ripping the flag from the town hall before two men destroyed it with scissors, according to police records. Mr. Ovadia said he drove several people to the protest but did not tear down the flag himself, an account he shared in writing with the federal government.

Why does the Satmar Hasidic branch oppose Israel?

Mr. Ovadia belongs to Satmar, the largest Hasidic group in New York, which opposes Zionism and the state of Israel on theological grounds. Under their interpretation of religious law, establishing a Jewish state before the Messiah's arrival is forbidden. Mr. Ovadia appeared to belong to a smaller grouping of politically active Satmars who have aligned themselves with the Palestinian cause, frequently attending anti-Israel marches and flying the Palestinian flag.

“We demonstrated for Gaza, for the liberation of Gaza, for the rights of the Palestinians and to show to the world that the Jews, real Judaism, want to have peace,” Mr. Ovadia said in a brief phone interview from detention.

What were the initial charges and how did the case unfold?

Mr. Ovadia was arrested and charged with criminal mischief, petit larceny and conspiracy, all as hate crimes. The criminal complaint accused him of stealing the flag, saying he and others “were motivated to participate in this act because of their hatred of the existence of the Israeli state.” The hate crime charges were dropped, and in February 2024, Mr. Ovadia pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, a violation under New York law but not a crime. He paid a $200 fine and an additional $125.

“I said, ‘You know, I don't have power, I'm out of money, I have no time, I am a teacher, I need to teach students every day. Let's end this with disorderly conduct,’” he recalled.

How did the Trump administration become involved?

After President Trump returned to power, he issued an executive order instructing the Department of Homeland Security to target noncitizens who participated in actions the administration deemed antisemitic. Several international students, including Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil, were detained under this policy.

When Mr. Ovadia's congregation applied for an extension of his religious worker visa in September 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services demanded police records and court documents related to the demonstration. The agency issued a rare split decision in May: it agreed Mr. Ovadia was qualified to continue working in the country but refused to let him remain in the United States to do so, stripping his lawful status.

The denial letter cited “adverse factors” including the dropped charges, the disorderly conduct violation, and police records showing Mr. Ovadia had declined to identify other participants. It did not mention his activism or the executive order.

What are the legal arguments against deportation?

Mr. Ovadia's lawyers filed a 27-page lawsuit in Manhattan Federal District Court on Aug. 29 requesting his release, arguing the administration was conflating his anti-Israel activism with antisemitism.

“He's against the Israeli government and the existence of the state of Israel for religious reasons, but to claim that he's an antisemite is the peak of absurdity,” said Eric Lee, one of his lawyers.

The Department of Homeland Security defended its action, stating that Mr. Ovadia had “overstayed his welcome and refused to depart” after his legal status was revoked. The statement said the administration acted “well within its statutory and constitutional authority, as it does with any alien who advocates for violence, glorifies and supports terrorists, harasses Jews and steals property.”

What happens next in Mr. Ovadia's case?

Mr. Ovadia, a husband and father of five, is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. His lawyers planned to request his release during a bond hearing on Wednesday morning in Manhattan. Rabbi Leibish Iliovits, who helped Mr. Ovadia settle in the United States, described him as devoted and strong-minded: “He would stand up for what he believe is right, and he wouldn't back down, but he would not harm anyone.”

Frequently asked questions about the case

Why was Yehonatan Ovadia detained by ICE?

Mr. Ovadia was detained after U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services revoked his legal status, citing “adverse factors” including dropped charges and a disorderly conduct violation related to the 2023 flag protest. He was then charged with remaining in the country without legal status.

Is opposing Israel considered antisemitism under U.S. policy?

Mr. Ovadia's lawyers argue that his anti-Israel activism is religiously motivated and distinct from antisemitism. The Trump administration's executive order targets noncitizens who participate in actions deemed antisemitic, but the denial letter in Mr. Ovadia's case did not cite antisemitism.

What is the Satmar Hasidic position on Israel?

Satmar is an ultra-Orthodox Hasidic group that opposes the existence of the state of Israel on theological grounds, believing that a Jewish state should not be established before the arrival of the Messiah.

This article is based on reporting by The New York Times.