US judge makes dramatic ruling about Israeli flags

The legal decision contains “the strongest language a federal court has come out with yet that anti-Zionism is obviously antisemitism,” says attorney.

By World Israel News Staff

A U.S. federal judge has ruled that attacking people for possessing or wearing Israeli flags is legally equivalent to attacking them based on their Jewish identity.

The decision undermines claims by anti-Israel activists that such attacks are purely political rather than racially motivated.

The case stems from a November 2024 incident in Washington, D.C., in which pro-Israel activist Kimmara Sumrall, who is Jewish, was assaulted during a rally by pro-Palestinian activist Janine Ali.

According to court documents, Ali choked Sumrall using an Israeli flag that was draped around her neck. The assault was witnessed by a police officer, and Ali was immediately arrested.

Sumrall sued Ali — a member of the far-left activist group Code Pink — asserting that the attack was motivated by racial, not political, animus.

District Judge Trevor N. McFadden agreed, ruling that assaulting someone for wearing an Israeli flag amounts to targeting them because of their Jewish ethnicity.

“Purposefully yanking on an Israeli flag tied around a Jewish person’s neck to choke them is direct evidence of racial discrimination. The Star of David — emblazoned upon the Israeli flag — symbolizes the Jewish race,” McFadden wrote in his ruling.

The judge noted that Ali had no reason to believe Sumrall was affiliated with the Israeli government and was more likely attacking her as a Jewish person wearing a Jewish symbol.

McFadden also upheld a restraining order against Ali filed by Sumrall.

Sumrall’s attorney, Matthew Mainen, told The Times of Israel that the decision contains “the strongest language a federal court has come out with yet that anti-Zionism is obviously antisemitism.”

Mainen emphasized that the ruling sets an important precedent, explaining that while a physical assault is typically a state-level crime, an attack motivated by race qualifies as a federal hate crime.

“This case in D.C. was the first post-October 7 case, and it’s possibly the first ever antisemitism case to use this law to address antisemitic violence,” he said.

Code Pink bemoaned the judge’s decision, claiming that the ruling sought to “criminalize political speech.”