3 weeks ago
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An anti-Israel protester who faces hate crime charges for allegedly launching a series of violent physical attacks on Jewish people during demonstrations near Columbia University had a direct link to the Palestinian Hamas terror group, prosecutors said, according to the New York Post. ;
Tarek Bazrouk, 20, of New York, New York, a self-proclaimed "Jew-hater," reportedly received information directly from Hamas while protesting at Columbia University's campus. According to prosecutors, ;Bazrouk, who frequently wore Hamas' green headband, was "a member of a chat group that received regular updates from Abu Obeida," who is the official spokesperson for Hamas' ;al-Qassam Brigades.
Bazrouk has been charged with three counts of committing hate crimes, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The charges stem from a series of alleged violent physical assaults against Jewish individuals at pro-Palestinian protests near Columbia University. The alleged attacks occurred between April 15, 2024, and January 6, 2025, according to a press release from the Department of Justice.
According to court documents, on April 12, 2024, Bazrouk attended a protest concerning Israel's war against Gaza outside the New York Stock Exchange in lower Manhattan. Bazrouk was arrested by police after "lunging at a group of pro-Israel protesters." While being escorted into an NYPD vehicle, Bazrouk kicked a Jewish college student in the stomach," court filings allege. The defendant was wearing a "green headband typically worn by Hamas terrorists" at the time of the attack.
On December 9, 2024, approximately eight months later, Bazrouk allegedly assaulted another Jewish student at a protest relating to the Israel-Gaza war at Columbia University's campus in upper Manhattan. Bazrouk allegedly stole an Israeli flag from the victim's brother and fled. After the victim caught up to Bazrouk to retrieve his brother's stolen property, Bazrouk allegedly punched the victim in the face with a closed fist, according to the indictment.
On January 6, 2025, Bazrouk allegedly assaulted his third Jewish victim at another protest concerning Israel's war against Hamas near 1st Avenue and East 18th Street in Manhattan. Bazrouk, who was wearing a keffiyeh, allegedly made contact with the victim's shoulder, wrapped his foot around the victim's ankle, and then punched the victim in the nose with a closed fist, according to court filings.
Bazrouk was not a student at Columbia University, but was an outside agitator involved in anti-Israel protests near the school, school officials said.
"As alleged, Tarek Bazrouk deliberately set out to harm Jewish New Yorkers - targeting them at protests, singling them out, and assaulting them for nothing more than their identity," said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. "The NYPD worked closely with the FBI and the US Attorney's Office to track him down and ensure he faces real consequences. Antisemitism and all forms of bigotry have no home here in New York - period. New Yorkers of all faiths are welcome to live and worship in our city freely, and we will never stop fighting to protect that right."
According to court documents, authorities discovered evidence showing Bazrouk's support for the Palestinian terror group Hamas on his cell phone, which revealed the defendant's "anti-Semitic bias" and motivation for "repeatedly assaulting Jewish victims."
Bazrouk identified himself in text messages as a "Jew hater," labled Jews as "worthless," called an acquaintance a "F*cking Jew," and encourgaed a friend to attack a Jewish woman who had an Israeli sticker on her laptop, writing "slap that b*tch," as alleged in court filings.
Additionally, Bazrouk told a friend that he was "mad happy" after learning that several of his family members overseas are part of Hamas. His phone was also "littered with pro-Hamas and pro-Hizballah propaganda," which prosecutors said showed his "support for organizations that have murdered thousands of Jews and Israelis," according to court documents.
The New York Post reported that a photo of the late Hamas terrorist Yahya Sinwar, who established the al-Qassam Brigades and is credited with orchestrating the Oct. 7 terrorist strike on Israel, was also discovered on Bazrouk's phone. Furthermore, the defendant had a picture of Obeida and an individual waving a Hamas flag, and an al-Qassam Brigades meme, that read: "By God I would not trade the Al Qassam Brigades for the world and everything in it. May God be pleased with them and allow them to break the wicked enemy through him," per the indictment.
"The Civil Rights Division will continue to relentlessly pursue allegations of antisemitic violence and will not stop until justice is served for the victims and their families," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "Under Attorney General Pam Bondi's leadership, we will use all available resources to investigate and charge those who target and assault others because of their faith."
Bazrouk was arrested and taken into custody in April. The Justice Department's Office of Civil Rights Unit in the Criminal Division is the lead prosecution for this case, while Assistant US Attorneys Sam Adelsberg and Jim Ligtenberg for the Southern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution.
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