VIDEO: Water bottles thrown at Ben Gvir during pro-Palestinian Yale protest

Israeli Occupation National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir faced vocal opposition during a visit to New Haven, Connecticut, on Wednesday evening, as pro-Palestinian demonstrators rallied outside a private event he attended near Yale University.

Ben Gvir had been invited to speak at Shabtai, a private Jewish society unaffiliated with the university. Following his speech, a crowd of demonstrators confronted the far-right politician outside the venue, chanting slogans such as “Free Palestine” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

Video footage released by Ben Gvir’s office shows the minister smiling and waving at demonstrators while exiting the building. His office claimed that water bottles were thrown in his direction, though he was not harmed. “Minister Ben Gvir refused to leave the scene and made a V sign at them, as a sign of victory,” the statement read.

Images circulated on social media appear to show a bottle mid-air, as well as protesters surrounding Ben Gvir and chanting. The incident did not result in injuries, though police reportedly detained at least one person.

Protests against Ben Gvir’s visit had begun a day earlier. On Tuesday night, around 200 pro-Palestinian demonstrators—identified by Yale as an “unregistered group”—erected eight tents in Beinecke Plaza, a prominent location on campus. The group dispersed later that evening after university officials issued warnings and shared campus policies regarding peaceful protest.

According to Yale, some students previously cautioned about violations received written disciplinary notices. Additionally, the university said it was reviewing allegations of “disturbing antisemitic conduct” that may have occurred during the protest. “Yale condemns anti-Semitism and will hold those who violate our policies accountable,” the university’s statement read.

Mitchell Dubin, a Yale senior and member of the Shabtai Society, emphasized that the organization’s mission is not to endorse or reject any world leader, but rather to facilitate open discussion. “Shabtai does not seek to legitimize or delegitimize world leaders,” Dubin told CNN. “Instead, it provides a space where ideas are interrogated with rigor.”