The Flatbush community is bracing for a tense Monday evening as a planned anti-Israel protest and a scheduled counter-demonstration are set to converge outside the Young Israel of Midwood.

Organizers operating under the name “Pal-Awda NY/NJ” have circulated flyers calling for a demonstration outside the shul, located at 1694 Ocean Avenue, at 6:30 p.m. The protest is targeting a real estate event being held at the shul, with organizers urging attendees to bring flags and “noisemakers” into the residential neighborhood.

In response, a counter-protest has been organized for 6:00 p.m., with flyers circulating online asking individuals to gather across from the shul with American and Israeli flags to oppose the demonstration.

With multiple groups expected to converge, local safety organizations are taking significant precautions. Flatbush Shomrim told Belaaz that they will maintain a “heavy presence” at the shul, with a deployment of 80 members to ensure the safety of neighborhood residents. Photos shared with Belaaz on Monday show dozens of barricades set up in preparation for the event. The NYPD is also expected to maintain a large presence to handle crowd control and maintain order.

The gathering in Midwood comes on the heels of similar protests targeting real estate events at local shuls in recent months. Many of these past demonstrations have deeply alarmed the community, frequently featuring violent rhetoric and severe harassment.

The escalating situation has drawn the attention of city officials. Mayor Zohran Mamdani addressed the planned protests, issuing a statement in which he condemned both the hosting of the real estate event itself, as well as the protesters whose previous demonstrations have included calls for the death of Jews.

The repeated targeting of local synagogues has also spurred renewed legislative action aimed at protecting houses of worship from intimidation. Lawmakers in Albany are currently pushing a statewide bill that would create mandatory buffer zones around religious institutions, establishing a set distance that protests must maintain to ensure congregants can safely enter and exit.

Simultaneously, a separate bill passed the New York City Council with a veto-proof majority that would also establish buffer zones around houses of worship. However, the city version of the legislation notably lacks a specific distance requirement, leaving the exact parameters of the buffer up to interpretation and enforcement on the ground.