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Anti-Israel Activists Who Falsely Accused Washington, DC Rabbi of Stalking Forced to Pay $182K of Legal Bills
Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld of Washington, DC. Photo: Screenshot
Anti-Israel activists who falsely accused a Washington, DC rabbi of stalking were directed to pay his $182,000 of legal bills, according to a recent ruling by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld — who is the former rabbi at Ohev Shalom synagogue and current Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Elimelech in Washington, DC — was falsely accused of stalking two anti-Israel activists in mid-2024 after he prayed outside the Israeli embassy for the hostages taken by Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023. The activists were seeking a restraining order against Herzfeld.
Atefeh Rochvand and Hazami Barmada staged a months-long protest outside of the embassy, and Herzfeld arrived at the facility three times during their protest. One time was to pray for the hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7, and two other times were to observe the protests and make comments toward those conducting them.
While Herzfeld was there to pray, an anti-Israel group harassed him — crowding near him, waving flags in his face, and blaring sirens, according to video circulated on social media. They also called him a Nazi.
DC rabbi harassed by pro-Palestinian protesters while praying for hostages wins $182K
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Judge orders pro-Palestinian activists to pay damages to Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld after falsely accusing him of harassment during his prayer vigil for Israeli hostages outside the embassy in… pic.twitter.com/bcdsUn2Daf— Ynetnews (@ynetnews) April 7, 2025
“It was the loudest outdoor scene I’ve ever seen in my life, it was ear-splitting, it was deafening,” he said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “I never saw anything like that in DC.”
The petitioners never alleged that Herzfeld tried to contact or interacted with them on any other occasions. According to the ruling, they even referred to his presence as “hilarious” while he was there.
Videos submitted to the court contradicted the stalking claims that Rochvand and Barmada made against Herzfeld.
“There is no evidence that Respondent [Herzfeld] ever threatened the Petitioners [Rochvand and Barmada],” the ruling read. “There is no evidence that he ever followed, monitored or placed them under surveillance. The only times he ever saw them was at the location of the protests on three occasions (only two with regard to Ms. Rokhvand).”
It continued, “The evidence suggests that his presence on those occasions was not an attempt to locate Petitioners or any other particular individuals; he was going to the embassy to pray, observe the protests and at times (March 21 and May 2) make his own comments regarding the protests.”
Nevertheless, Rochvand and Barmada wrote in a comment to The Daily Wire that they “were shocked by the tone and findings outlined in the subsequent order granting outrageous legal fees. Albeit ultimately deemed ‘protected speech,’ the evidence at trial showed Rabbi Herzfeld and his cohorts, on multiple occasions, came inappropriately close to females and made offensive and vile remarks to intimidate them.”
One of these comments, they said, was when Herzfeld asked them, “Why do you support the raping of innocent women?” — likely referring to the gender-based sexual violence that took place during Hamas’s Oct. 7 terror attack across southern Israel.
The judge commented, “The Petitioners may very well have been offended by what the Respondent said on May 2, just as the Respondent was likely offended when Petitioner Barmada called him a Nazi and a supporter of terrorizing children on March 21, 2024.” He concluded, “These comments, while offensive, are constitutionally protected.”
Due to the false nature of the anti-Israel activists’ claims, the court ruled they had to pay Herzfeld’s legal fees, which were $182,000.
In the interview with Fox News Digital, Herzfeld spoke about his experience during the ordeal.
“It was Shabbos, my parents were over, and my children were there, and I come home from prayers. And my wife was, you know, horrified that police had – she said police came to our door and they left and they – and they gave me, you know, this temporary restraining order,” Herzfeld said.
Fox reported that Herzfeld “said it was highly stressful and was extremely embarrassed at the thought that his neighbors, who saw police arrive at his door, could have thought there was merit to the case.”
It went on to explain how he dealt with the stress of the trial. “I was reciting Psalm 121 to myself, ‘I lift up my eyes to the mountains from where will come my help,’” he said.
“I was reciting Psalm 132 [sic] to myself from the depths to – you know, to God as a prayer – ‘From the depths I call out to you, Please, God, answer me.’”
The post Anti-Israel Activists Who Falsely Accused Washington, DC Rabbi of Stalking Forced to Pay $182K of Legal Bills first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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After False Dawns, Gazans Hope Trump Will Force End to Two-Year-Old War
Palestinians walk past a residential building destroyed in previous Israeli strikes, after Hamas agreed to release hostages and accept some other terms in a US plan to end the war, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Exhausted Palestinians in Gaza clung to hopes on Saturday that US President Donald Trump would keep up pressure on Israel to end a two-year-old war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced the entire population of more than two million.
Hamas’ declaration that it was ready to hand over hostages and accept some terms of Trump’s plan to end the conflict while calling for more talks on several key issues was greeted with relief in the enclave, where most homes are now in ruins.
“It’s happy news, it saves those who are still alive,” said 32-year-old Saoud Qarneyta, reacting to Hamas’ response and Trump’s intervention. “This is enough. Houses have been damaged, everything has been damaged, what is left? Nothing.”
GAZAN RESIDENT HOPES ‘WE WILL BE DONE WITH WARS’
Ismail Zayda, 40, a father of three, displaced from a suburb in northern Gaza City where Israel launched a full-scale ground operation last month, said: “We want President Trump to keep pushing for an end to the war, if this chance is lost, it means that Gaza City will be destroyed by Israel and we might not survive.
“Enough, two years of bombardment, death and starvation. Enough,” he told Reuters on a social media chat.
“God willing this will be the last war. We will hopefully be done with the wars,” said 59-year-old Ali Ahmad, speaking in one of the tented camps where most Palestinians now live.
“We urge all sides not to backtrack. Every day of delay costs lives in Gaza, it is not just time wasted, lives get wasted too,” said Tamer Al-Burai, a Gaza City businessman displaced with members of his family in central Gaza Strip.
After two previous ceasefires — one near the start of the war and another earlier this year — lasted only a few weeks, he said; “I am very optimistic this time, maybe Trump’s seeking to be remembered as a man of peace, will bring us real peace this time.”
RESIDENT WORRIES THAT NETANYAHU WILL ‘SABOTAGE’ DEAL
Some voiced hopes of returning to their homes, but the Israeli military issued a fresh warning to Gazans on Saturday to stay out of Gaza City, describing it as a “dangerous combat zone.”
Gazans have faced previous false dawns during the past two years, when Trump and others declared at several points during on-off negotiations between Hamas, Israel and Arab and US mediators that a deal was close, only for war to rage on.
“Will it happen? Can we trust Trump? Maybe we trust Trump, but will Netanyahu abide this time? He has always sabotaged everything and continued the war. I hope he ends it now,” said Aya, 31, who was displaced with her family to Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
She added: “Maybe there is a chance the war ends at October 7, two years after it began.”
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Mass Rally in Rome on Fourth Day of Italy’s Pro-Palestinian Protests
A Pro-Palestinian demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag during a national protest for Gaza in Rome, Italy, October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Large crowds assembled in central Rome on Saturday for the fourth straight day of protests in Italy since Israel intercepted an international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza, and detained its activists.
People holding banners and Palestinian flags, chanting “Free Palestine” and other slogans, filed past the Colosseum, taking part in a march that organizers hoped would attract at least 1 million people.
“I’m here with a lot of other friends because I think it is important for us all to mobilize individually,” Francesco Galtieri, a 65-year-old musician from Rome, said. “If we don’t all mobilize, then nothing will change.”
Since Israel started blocking the flotilla late on Wednesday, protests have sprung up across Europe and in other parts of the world, but in Italy they have been a daily occurrence, in multiple cities.
On Friday, unions called a general strike in support of the flotilla, with demonstrations across the country that attracted more than 2 million, according to organizers. The interior ministry estimated attendance at around 400,000.
Italy’s right-wing government has been critical of the protests, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggesting that people would skip work for Gaza just as an excuse for a longer weekend break.
On Saturday, Meloni blamed protesters for insulting graffiti that appeared on a statue of the late Pope John Paul II outside Rome’s main train station, where Pro-Palestinian groups have been holding a protest picket.
“They say they are taking to the streets for peace, but then they insult the memory of a man who was a true defender and builder of peace. A shameful act committed by people blinded by ideology,” she said in a statement.
Israel launched its Gaza offensive after Hamas terrorists staged a cross border attack on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 people hostage.
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Hamas Says It Agrees to Release All Israeli Hostages Under Trump Gaza Plan
Smoke rises during an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, October 2, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Hamas said on Friday it had agreed to release all Israeli hostages, alive or dead, under the terms of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza proposal, and signaled readiness to immediately enter mediated negotiations to discuss the details.