Tarek Bazrouk, 20, of New York City, was sentenced on Oct. 28 to 17 months in prison and three subsequent years of supervised release for hate crimes of “repeatedly” attacking Jews, the U.S. Department of Justice stated.
Per court documents, Bazrouk attacked three Jews at pro-Israel gatherings over the course of nine months.
He wore a “green headband typically worn by Hamas terrorists” at an event near the New York Stock Exchange on April 15, 2024, during which New York City Police Department officers arrested him after he lunged at pro-Israel protesters and he kicked a Jewish college student in the stomach as officers took Bazrouk to a police car. The Jewish victim was standing alongside other Jews, who were wearing kippahs, carrying Israeli flags and singing Jewish songs, according to the Justice Department.
On Dec. 9, 2024, he assaulted a Columbia University Jewish student, who was wearing a kippah and an Israeli flag draped on his shoulders and who was singing Jewish songs, at a rally near the private school. Bazrouk, who has his “mouth covered,” also stole an Israeli flag from the victim’s similarly attired brother. When the brothers followed him into a crowd trying to take their flag back, “Bazrouk snuck up beside victim two and struck him in the face with a closed fist,” the Justice Department stated.
On Jan. 6, Bazrouk attacked another Jew at a rally in Manhattan’s Gramercy Park neighborhood. The third victim was wearing an Israeli flag over his shoulders, a hat with an image of the Israeli flag and a Star of David chain.
“During the protest, Bazrouk, who was wearing a keffiyeh on his face, made contact with victim three’s shoulder and wrapped his foot around victim three’s ankle,” the department said. “Victim three attempted to push Bazrouk away and cursed at him. Bazrouk then punched victim three in the nose with a closed fist.”
“Tarek Bazrouk repeatedly attacked Jewish victims at protests relating to the Israel-Hamas war,” stated Jay Clayton, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. “He targeted these New Yorkers based on their religion and national origin, and he was undeterred by multiple arrests following these assaults, instead quickly returning to violently targeting Jews.”
“The prosecution of this case and the sentence imposed make clear that New Yorkers will not tolerate hate-based violence and that this office will aggressively prosecute those who perpetrate senseless crimes of hate,” Clayton said.
The Justice Department said that when law enforcement executed a search warrant to go through Bazrouk’s electronic devices, they found evidence that showed his “antisemitic bias and his support for anti-Jewish terrorist groups, including Hamas, demonstrating his motivation for repeatedly assaulting Jewish victims.”
In one message, he referred to himself as a “Jew-hatred,” called Jews “worthless” and called on “Allah” to “get us rid” of Jews, as well as directing expletives and misogynistic language at Jews, the department said. He also said he was “mad happy” to learn that a friend’s relatives overseas were part of Hamas.
“Bazrouk’s phones also contained extensive pro-Hamas and pro-Hizballah propaganda, showing his support for organizations that have murdered thousands of Jews and Israelis,” the department said.
