More than a year ago, in West Orange, New Jersey, a group of pro‑Hamas protesters gathered in front of a synagogue with nothing to do with foreign politics. During that protest, one of the radicals violently attacked an elderly Jewish man who was trying simply to attend services. Dr. Moshe Glick intervened to protect the victim and ended up injuring the attacker. Yet, it was Dr. Glick, the defender, who was arrested; he was charged with aggravated assault, and “the persecuted became prosecuted.” Defending Dr. Glick in itself is a worthy cause, but his experience highlighted a much larger issue. The issue is that Jewish people who attend a synagogue should not be subjected to harassment and intimidation for simply wanting to pray at their house of worship.

Through his struggle, a major piece of legislation that was already on the books was highlighted. This piece of legislation is called the FACE Act. As the U.S. Department of Justice recently reaffirmed, the law “prohibits the use or threat of force and physical obstruction … to intentionally injure, intimidate, or interfere with any person lawfully … exercising their FirstAmendment........

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