NEW YORK — A New York City public garden that had barred members who believe in “Zionism” has agreed to allow Zionist members, the city’s parks department said on Thursday.

The Sunset Community Garden in Queens had attempted to block Zionist members in 2024, setting off a long-running dispute with city authorities and a court battle.

A spokesperson for the parks department told The Times of Israel on Thursday that the city and the garden had “resolved this case to both parties’ satisfaction, in a manner that safeguards the rights of all members of the community.”

“Garden members will not be required to be anti-Zionist,” the spokesperson said.

Jewish neighborhood residents first raised complaints in 2024 about anti-Israel activism at the Sunset Community Garden.

The garden, located in a city-owned public space, had instituted “community agreements” that required prospective members to pledge support to “oppressed and marginalized people” worldwide, “especially Palestine.”

Another commitment required members to oppose “violent behavior or rhetoric that expresses all forms of hate,” including “Zionist, anti-Semitic, nationalist and/or racist beliefs.”

Membership in the garden allows area residents to........

© The Times of Israel