{"id":126332,"date":"2026-05-10T19:18:30","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T22:18:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ubirataonline.com.br\/new-york-city-garden-that-had-barred-zionist-members-drops-the-requirement\/"},"modified":"2026-05-10T19:18:35","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T22:18:35","slug":"new-york-city-garden-that-had-barred-zionist-members-drops-the-requirement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ubirataonline.com.br\/en\/new-york-city-garden-that-had-barred-zionist-members-drops-the-requirement\/","title":{"rendered":"New York City garden that had barred Zionist members drops the requirement"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

NEW YORK \u2014 A New York City public garden that had barred members who believe in \u201cZionism\u201d has agreed to allow Zionist members, the city\u2019s parks department said on Thursday.<\/p>\n

The Sunset Community Garden in Queens had attempted to block Zionist members in 2024, setting off a long-running dispute with city authorities and a court battle.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the parks department told The Times of Israel on Thursday that the city and the garden had \u201cresolved this case to both parties\u2019 satisfaction,\u00a0in a manner that safeguards the rights of all members of the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGarden members will not be required to be anti-Zionist,\u201d the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

Jewish neighborhood residents first raised complaints in 2024<\/a> about anti-Israel activism at the Sunset Community Garden.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\n\t\t\tGet The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition<\/span>
\n\t\t\tby email and never miss our top stories<\/span>\n\t\t<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the terms<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The garden, located in a city-owned public space, had instituted \u201ccommunity agreements\u201d that required prospective members to pledge support to \u201coppressed and marginalized people\u201d worldwide, \u201cespecially Palestine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another commitment required members to oppose \u201cviolent behavior or rhetoric that expresses all forms of hate,\u201d including \u201cZionist, anti-Semitic, nationalist and\/or racist beliefs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Membership in the garden allows area residents to participate in gardening activities, and not only visit.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The garden had also posted anti-Israel images online, branded a flower bed as \u201cPoppies for Palestine,\u201d and endorsed other progressive messaging.<\/p>\n

Last year, the New York City Parks Department told the garden<\/a> that the anti-Zionist statement violated city guidelines by requiring members to pass political and ideological \u201clitmus tests,\u201d and said the garden had refused solutions offered by the city to stay in operation.<\/p>\n

Months later, the city issued the garden a vacate order<\/a>, although members of the public had been allowed to enter the garden during certain hours, pending the court case\u2019s resolution.<\/p>\n

Former New York City mayor Eric Adams, a staunch supporter of Israel and mainstream Jews, weighed in at the time, telling The Times of Israel that the garden\u2019s conduct was \u201creprehensible\u201d because it had \u201cspecifically tried to bar those who believe in a State of Israel, which the overwhelming majority of Jews do.\u201d<\/p>\n

The garden filed a lawsuit against the city in federal court in New York, claiming a \u201ctargeted, discriminatory, and retaliatory campaign\u201d against protected free speech.<\/p>\n

Court records showed that the two sides had agreed to a settlement \u201cin principle\u201d last week.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Lawyers for the two parties did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n

The high-profile dispute highlighted how the blurred lines between antisemitism and anti-Zionism play out on New York City streets and in public spaces.<\/p>\n

Some Jews argue that anti-Zionism overlaps with or causes, or constitutes antisemitism, while anti-Zionists claim the movement is purely political and not discriminatory.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n


\n\t\t\t\tWhich gorgeous bird do you prefer?\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n

THIS MONTH ONLY: <\/strong>Join our reader support group for as little as $6\/month<\/strong> and receive an exclusive tote bag featuring one of Israel\u2019s native birds.<\/p>\n

Choose between the\u00a0Duchifat<\/strong> (orange), Israel’s national bird, or the Shaldag<\/strong> (blue), a beloved symbol of the Israeli landscape.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As a member of the Times of Israel Community,<\/strong>\u00a0you’ll also enjoy:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n
  • An ad-free experience<\/strong> of our site and podcasts.<\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  • Exclusive access to award-winning films via DocuNation.<\/strong><\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  • Weekly letters from founding editor David Horovitz.<\/strong><\/li>\n

    \n<\/ul>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

    \t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\tJoin ToI Community & claim my bag\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

    \t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\tCLAIM YOUR BAG\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

    \t\t\tAlready a member? Sign in to stop seeing this<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n

    \n


    \n\t\t\t\tYou appreciate our wartime journalism\t\t\t<\/p>\n

    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n


    \n\t\t\t\t\t\tWe\u2019re really pleased that you\u2019ve read X<\/span> Times of Israel articles<\/strong> in the past month.<\/span> \n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

    You clearly find our careful reporting of the Iran war valuable, at a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.<\/p>\n

    Your support is essential to continue our work.<\/strong> We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically during this ongoing conflict.<\/p>\n

    So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community<\/strong>. For as little as $6 a month you’ll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE<\/strong>, as well as accessing\u00a0exclusive content\u00a0available only to Times of Israel Community members.<\/p>\n

    Thank you,
    David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

    \t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\tJoin Our Community\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

    \t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\tJoin Our Community\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

    \t\t\tAlready a member? Sign in to stop seeing this<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n