In Front of Israel Embassy, I Prayed, Got Accused of Stalking, and the Truth Saved Me

On Friday night, May 17, I returned home after Shabbat prayers in our yeshiva expecting to have a peaceful family Shabbat dinner with my wife, children, and parents. Upon entering my house, I was shocked to learn that while I was studying and davening at our yeshiva, police officers had come to my house with a summons and a temporary anti-stalking order. I was accused of being a stalker.

The background to this incident is that on March 21—the Fast of Esther—I went to the Israeli Embassy to recite prayers for the hostages being held in Gaza and the soldiers of the IDF who are bravely trying to rescue them. While I was attempting to pray, pro-Palestinian protesters intentionally blasted sirens in my ear in order to disrupt my prayers. On May 1, I filed a lawsuit in Federal Court seeking relief for the damage done to my ear.

Two pro-Palestinian protestors then filed petitions seeking an anti-stalking order against me in a different court.  In their petitions they claimed that they were the victims. Among other accusations they claimed (falsely) that I had called them terrorists and had stalked them by coming to the Israeli Embassy on three occasions. I was ordered to appear before a Judge on Tuesday, May 21.

Luckily, I was able to turn to an incredible team of lawyers for assistance—Steve Lieberman, Robert Parker and Nicole DeAbrantes of Rothwell Figg.  They brilliantly represented me that Tuesday, in DC Superior Court.  They argued before the judge that since my only interaction with these protestors happened in front of the Israeli Embassy it was clearly political speech and plainly excluded from the anti-stalking statute. The judge was sympathetic to this argument but he still said that there needed to be a trial to determine the facts.

A three-day trial ensued. This trial was nervewracking and intense. Even though I knew that I did not do any of the things that I was being accused of, I had no idea if the judge would see the truth.  

Fortunately, at the end of the trial, on Friday July 26, the judge forcefully and entirely adopted my version of the events. He pointed out that one of the petitioners actually called me a terrorist and members of my group a Nazi. He also said that my speech was “certainly not” stalking. In fact, in response to their claims, he said that phrase, “certainly not” on several occasions.

I felt extremely grateful to Gd for being vindicated in court and I very much appreciated the brilliant legal team that worked day and night to defend me.  However, I am outraged that I was subjected to this experience. I believe that the petitioners who are themselves hardened protesters (for example, they like to pour fake blood in the direction of people who they disagree with politically),  filed their anti-stalking petitions with the intent to disrupt my life and intimidate me. They wanted to send a message that I and others should be afraid to pray in front of the Israeli Embassy. They wanted to make me think twice before raising a voice against the lies that are routinely thrown out against the Jewish people and Israel. They attacked me, yet they claimed that they were the victims. This reminds me of the attack on October 7. Hamas attacked Israel and then claimed to be the victims.

In denying their petition the judge observed that the pro-Palestinian protesters had blasted their sirens while I prayed and that they did so while they wore ear plugs.

If we continue to speak the truth my experience shows that fair minded people will see through the lies and obfuscations. In the end the truth will prevail. 

These pro-Palestinian protestors might not be able to hear us because of their ear plugs but if we continue to speak the truth my experience shows that fair minded people will see through the lies and obfuscations. In the end the truth will prevail.

Shmuel Herzfeld is Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Elimelech in Washington, D.C.