Two prominent human rights organizations have formally called on New York’s top law enforcement official to open a criminal probe into a far-right Israeli government minister ahead of his scheduled public appearance in Manhattan next week.
The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), a two-year-old accountability group focused on pursuing legal action against Israeli officials and military personnel accused of involvement in atrocities against Palestinians, joined forces with the New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) to deliver an official letter to New York State Attorney General Letitia James this Thursday. The filing urges James to launch a criminal investigation into Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel’s Minister of National Security, who is set to attend the Chief of Police Summit in Manhattan from July 7 to 8.
Ben Gvir has long been a controversial figure, known for his overtly hostile, violent rhetoric targeting Palestinians and Muslim communities globally. He was previously sanctioned by the Biden administration over his documented role in encouraging deadly violence carried out by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, a punitive measure that former President Donald Trump reversed in one of his first actions after taking office last year.
Beyond his history of incitement, the groups outline multiple allegations of misconduct tied to Ben Gvir, including his direct role in distributing firearms and gun permits to Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank as part of what the letter frames as Israel’s state-led policy of apartheid and forced dispossession of Palestinian land. The letter also accuses Ben Gvir of direct incitement to genocide against Palestinian people in Gaza, where Israeli military operations have killed more than 73,000 Palestinians since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.
The organizations claim there is credible, reasonable evidence that Ben Gvir has violated at least nine separate provisions of the New York Penal Code, creating legal standing for an investigation within the state. They are also calling on James to meet directly with local New York-based victims who say they have been harmed by Ben Gvir. These survivors include a Palestinian American who was subjected to torture and starvation while detained in an Israeli prison, as well as 10 participants in the 2025 and 2026 Global Sumud Flotillas who allege Ben Gvir directly ordered or oversaw their abuse.
HRF’s U.S. representative Jake Romm told Middle East Eye in an interview Thursday that the attorney general has a clear legal and ethical obligation to act. “The ball is in her court; she needs to meet with these people. They are New Yorkers. They deserve the protection of the law, and she has an obligation to bring justice,” Romm said. The groups are additionally pushing James to establish a specialized Atrocity Crimes Accountability Task Force within the state criminal justice division, focused specifically on investigating claims against Israeli officials and crimes stemming from Israeli state policy.
While James’ office operates independently from New York’s executive political leadership, she maintains a close political alliance with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, one of the most prominent U.S. political voices critical of Israeli government policy toward Palestinians. Romm noted that this political context, paired with shifting public opinion across the U.S. and particularly in New York, creates a more favorable opening for the request to gain traction.
“In New York, I do think there’s more of a political will,” Romm said. “We saw with the primaries these candidates’ stances on Palestine played a major role in this election. It also played a major role in the mayoral election. And I mean truthfully, the majority of the country is against Israel’s actions in Palestine and Lebanon.”
Brad Parker, associate director of policy at CCR, emphasized that growing impunity for Israeli officials at the federal level makes state-level action all the more critical. CCR, a progressive legal advocacy non-profit, has already taken on high-profile cases representing pro-Palestine students targeted by the Trump administration, and has a long history of human rights advocacy related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “Israeli officials like Ben Gvir enjoy near complete impunity. When [US President Donald] Trump is complicit and works to foster that impunity, it is imperative that New York State officials act to challenge it,” Parker said in the organizations’ joint press release.
HRF, for its part, has already built a track record of legal action against Israeli actors, bringing cases against senior state officials, military commanders, and lower-ranking soldiers accused of complicity in what the group frames as ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.