A hardline Zionist organisation operating in New York has agreed to wind down its activities after a state investigation found a pattern of intimidation directed at pro-Palestinian activists. The decision follows months of scrutiny by the New York Attorney General’s office, which concluded that the group repeatedly targeted individuals based on religion and national origin, creating a climate of fear around protests and civic engagement.

The organisation had publicly claimed a role in compiling the names of international students and academics for potential removal from the United States during the early months of the current federal administration, citing executive measures aimed at silencing campus activism linked to Palestine. Those efforts were largely stalled by legal challenges, but the state inquiry broadened its focus to allegations of harassment and threats against Muslim, Arab, Palestinian and Jewish activists who opposed Israel’s policies.

Under the agreement reached with state authorities, the group must immediately halt any conduct that encourages violence, issues threats against demonstrators or interferes with the exercise of civil rights. Failure to comply would trigger significant financial penalties. Officials also confirmed that the organisation intends to dissolve its non-profit status and progressively cease operations in New York.

City leaders welcomed the outcome as a step toward accountability, arguing that years of unchecked intimidation had narrowed the space for lawful protest. Civil rights advocates noted that the group had previously been identified as extremist by prominent Jewish anti-hate organisations, a designation that intensified calls for intervention as demonstrations spread across US campuses in response to Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. Since October 2023, that campaign has devastated the enclave, leaving tens of thousands of Palestinians dead and reshaping political debate worldwide amid a fragile ceasefire.