
A New York man has been indicted on federal hate crime charges for a series of assaults against Jewish individuals in the city, a recent revelation suggests. The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, alongside officials from the FBI and NYPD announced the unsealing of the indictment against Tarek Bazrouk, accused of targeting Jewish victims out of antisemitism. Bazrouk, 20, faces three counts of committing hate crimes with each count carrying a maximum of ten years in prison.
According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Bazrouk's series of assaults took place at protests related to the Israel/Gaza war. In the most recent and particularly stark incident, Bazrouk was arrested after violently striking Victim-3, who was donning symbols of his Jewish identity, across the face with a clenched fist. Evidence from Bazrouk’s cellphones, obtained through warrants, displayed an alarming amount of anti-Semitic content and support for recognized terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hizballah.
Bazrouk's alleged actions are described to have unfolded over a nine-month period, engaging in unprovoked assaults during protests. In a blunt assessment by U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, "Despite being arrested after each incident, Bazrouk allegedly remained undeterred and quickly returned to violently targeting Jews in New York City." The indictment narrative lays out a pattern of escalating violence, starting with Bazrouk attending a protest in Lower Manhattan in April 2024, where he allegedly attacked a Jewish college student.
Law enforcement is firm on the stance that the defendant's motivations were rooted in bigotry. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon emphasized the gravity of the situation, as quoted in the same release, "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." The close cooperation between local law enforcement and federal agencies highlights the commitment to addressing hate crimes in New York City.