‘Felt like a lynch mob,’ mom of 4-year-old says of NYC-funded festival, in which performer accuses Israel of ‘war crimes’

A Jewish mother and her 4-year-old son attended the International Puppet Fringe Festival NYC, partially funded by New York City and State, where a performance included accusations of Israeli “war crimes” and a depiction of a Gaza flotilla. The mother, an immigrant from the former Soviet Union, described the experience as “pretty nauseating” and “felt like a lynch mob” when audience members chanted “shame, shame” during the anti-Israel segment. Manuel Morán, the festival's founder, stated that “theater and puppetry have always been political art forms” and that organizers may not have known the full content in advance, emphasizing artistic freedom while noting a Jewish group also performed.