A Jewish activist who protested during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the U.S. Congress is suing the four bystanders that she says attacked her.

Rachel Abileah of El Grenada, Calif., the Middle East Coordinator for CODEPINK, a peace and social justice organization, has filed a lawsuit in the District of Columbia’s Superior Court against the four unnamed people for $500,000 in compensatory damages and $500,000 in punitive damages for assault, battery and false imprisonment.

Abileah, a U.S. citizen of Israeli descent, stood up in the House Gallery during the May 24 speech and opened a banner that read “Occupying Land is Indefensible” and shouted, “No more occupation. Stop Israeli war crimes! Equal rights for Palestinians!”

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

The guest of a member of Congress, Abileah says in the complaint filed Aug. 18 that she was seated among many people wearing badges showing that they were attendees of the 2011 American Israeli Public Affairs Committee Policy Conference.

The three John Does and one Jane Doe “roughed her up” following her outburst, according to the complaint. One of the men tried to gag her with his hand and injured her neck by violently jerking back her head, Abileah alleges, and the other defendants pushed and pulled her, and threatened her with bodily harm before plainclothes policemen pulled her away.

Abileah’s complaint states that the attacks have “caused her to suffer severe emotional distress, including trouble sleeping, nightmares, a heightened emotional state, increased stress, fear and anxiety, especially when around large groups of people.”

A criminal investigation into the attack is pending, according to the complaint.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount