Police in Toronto arrested a man on Tuesday on suspicion of attacking a Jewish man while yelling antisemitic slurs against the victim.
Around 12:10 p.m., the accused approached the victim in the Jane Street and Lawrence Avenue West area at a commercial property that the latter manages, the Toronto Police Service said in a statement.
The suspect, identified as Abdulkadir al-Jelani, 58, from Toronto, started yelling and throwing rocks “and other items” at the victim, causing him minor wounds.
Al-Jelani is charged with three counts of assault with a weapon and one count of uttering death threats, the Toronto Police Service said. He appeared in court at the Toronto Regional Bail Centre on July 1.
“It is believed that the victim was targeted because of their religious attire,” the police added.
The victim was named as Joseph Bitton by the National Post.
A real estate agent and lawyer, Bitton told the newspaper that the assailant swung a parking pylon at him, shouting that Jews are “baby killers committing genocide.”
“He said he was from Yemen and a Houthi,” Bitton, who wears a kippah, related.
“I dodged all the projectiles he was throwing at me, blocked him with my arms. I’ve got lesions and scratches on both arms,” he said.
“Some people are telling me I should have knocked the guy out. I said, ‘Absolutely not. Then I would be arrested, and he would go free, and I would be the bad guy.’ So I deliberately just stayed 10 or 15 feet away,” he continued.
Bitton followed the attacker, who attempted to flee. The incident lasted for approximately 35 minutes before police arrived and detained the assailant, Bitton said.
