MANCHESTER, NH May 22, 2025–I n response to the murder of a young couple who worked at the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC, Ward 6 Alderman and candidate for mayor Crissy Kantor issued the following statement:
Kantor: Zero tolerance
I condemn in the strongest possible terms the horrific and cowardly murder of Israeli officials on American soil. This was not just an attack on our ally Israel—it was an attack on the values of freedom, democracy, and peace that unite our two nations.
Let me be crystal clear: anti-Semitism has no place in Manchester, New Hampshire, or anywhere in the United States of America. Anyone who thinks they can bring their hate-filled ideology into our community will find themselves chanting “From the River to the Sea” from a jail cell, and we’ll throw away the key.
There will be zero tolerance.
As Mayor, I will ensure Manchester is a city where Jewish families, businesses, and houses of worship are protected and respected. I stand with Israel, I stand with law and order, and I stand against hate in all its forms.
Kantor made similar statements in the past as supporters of Hamas used the public participation portion of meetings of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BMA) to demand the city condemn what they called the “Israeli genocide” against people in the Gaza Strip. Israel undertook significant military operations against the Hamas terrorists who slaughtered and or kidnapped over 1,200 innocent Israeli citizens in a series of surprise, coordinated and brutal attacks on October 7, 2023. Chanting “from the river to the sea, Palestine will soon be free,” and “Free, free Palestine,” protesters disrupted several consecutive meetings of the BMA.
In response to those protests, Kantor backed changes to the public participation rules that barred the use of flags or large posterboards that could conceal people or weapons and disallowed the use of obscenities. Some of these provisions were recently repealed after former Union Leader reporter Mark Hayward complained they were an infringement on First Amendment rights. While Mayor Jay Ruais said he didn’t support the changes, he failed to veto them after they passed the board on an 8 to 6 vote. Kantor opposed the changes, speaking passionately about how civil conduct was essential if people were to feel safe sharing their opinions with the board. She said she had several Jewish friends who wanted to share their opinions with the board but didn’t because the protesters created a hostile and intimidating environment that made them feel unsafe.
