A woman who went on an anti-Semitic tirade against two Jewish people on a New York City subway in December was indicted with a hate crime by a Manhattan grand jury, attorneys of one victim told Fox News on Wednesday.
Israeli college student Lihi Aharon and an Orthodox Jewish man she sat next to on the subway faced a “disturbing” anti-Semitic attack by Zarinah Ali, a 38-year-old African-American who also physically attacked Aharon. Police arrested Ali that night and charged her with assault.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office was originally “very resistant” to prosecute the charges as a hate crime, but following public outrage, classified her actions as such, Aharon’s lawyer Kenneth Belkin told Fox News.
“I still bear the physical and emotional scars from my attack, and I expect they will be with me for many years to come. Today, at least I can feel satisfied that my attacker will be held responsible for her actions, and I hope that my experience may help bring this type of hatred to light,” Aharon said in a statement.
Belkin and The Lawfare Project provided Aharon pro bono representation.
“Just because one minority is persecuting another minority doesn’t mean it is not a hate crime,” said Brooke Goldstein, attorney and executive director of The Lawfare Project.
