Anti-Israel agitator accused of violently attacking Jewish protesters learns his fate

Tarek Bazrouk, an anti-Israel agitator who was hit with federal hate crime charges after assaulting Jewish counter-protesters, was sentenced to 17 months of incarceration followed by three years of supervised release.

During a sentencing hearing Tuesday, Bazrouk made a brief statement in which he apologized to the victims and his family.

“I’m sorry guys and hope you can forgive me for my actions,” Bazrouk said while looking at his victims.

U.S. District Judge Richard Berman said Tuesday that if someone assaults an individual because the person is an actual or perceived Jew practicing First Amendment rights, the offender would likely go to jail. Berman added that “it works the same if the roles were reversed.”

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The government argued for a 36-month sentence, which was above the sentencing guidelines, saying it was a “serious case” that needed “a serious sentence.” Additionally, the government argued that a longer sentence would help with deterrence.

Berman read excerpts of victims’ letters, including one that said “justice here means sending a message that hate and violence have no place in this city.”

Two of Bazrouk’s victims took the opportunity to speak at the hearing. One said he was a victim of Bazrouk’s “vicious campaign against Jews,” adding that the assaults were not about the war, but rather “about us as Jews.”

The other victim said he did not see Bazrouk’s remorse for the assault, saying he didn’t “feel it in my gut.”

The judge also read Bazrouk’s letter to the court during the hearing. In the letter, Bazrouk said there was “no excuse for my behavior” and that he “let feelings over the suffering in Gaza get the best of me.” He added that “violence is never the right response.”

Bazrouk’s sister told the court that the last six months had been challenging for her family and that the family condemned her brother’s actions. However, she did not believe more time behind bars would help her brother. 

“More time in jail will do more harm than good,” Bazrouk’s sister said. She also said he would participate in treatment and rebuild his life if given the opportunity.

Bazrouk’s attorney, Andrew Dalack, argued Bazrouk was remorseful for his actions and that he “has continued to grapple with how those terrible decisions not only affected him … but his family and his community.”

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In May, Bazrouk, 20, was charged with three counts of committing hate crimes in repeated assaults of Jews in New York City between 2024 and 2025. The incidents were linked to protests over the Israel-Hamas war. He pleaded guilty to one count in June as part of an agreement.

Bazrouk then read a statement saying, between April 2024 and January 2025, he assaulted others because of their identity. He further admitted to punching someone on Jan. 6.

“I am very sorry,” Bazrouk said.

He continued, explaining he is Palestinian and started to protest as a way to express outrage over Israel’s actions in Gaza. Bazrouk also apologized to his family and the community.

“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,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a DOJ statement. “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.”

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York said in a statement that “despite being arrested after each incident, Bazrouk allegedly remained undeterred and quickly returned to using violence to target Jews in New York City.”

The first incident occurred April 15, 2024, when Bazrouk, who was allegedly wearing a green headband typically associated with Hamas terrorists, was at a protest in Lower Manhattan outside the New York Stock Exchange. 

According to the DOJ, the NYPD arrested Bazrouk after he was “lunging at a group of pro-Israel protesters.” The DOJ said that as he was being escorted to a NYPD vehicle, Bazrouk kicked an individual in the stomach. The person was a Jewish college student who was allegedly standing near other Jewish protesters wearing kippahs, carrying Israeli flags and singing Jewish songs.

The second incident noted in the DOJ statement occurred on Dec. 9, 2024, when Bazrouk allegedly assaulted an individual at a protest near a university campus in Upper Manhattan. The victim was a Jewish student who attended the university, according to the DOJ. Bazrouk allegedly stole an Israeli flag from the victim, who was wearing a kippah, and fled. 

According to the DOJ, the victim and his brother followed Bazrouk through a crowd to retrieve the flag, and Bazrouk then sneaked up on the victim and “struck him in the face with a closed fist.”

The third incident took place Jan. 6, 2025, when Bazrouk allegedly assaulted another Jewish victim at a protest in Manhattan. 

“During the protest, Bazrouk, who was wearing a keffiyeh on his face, made contact with Victim-3’s shoulder and wrapped his foot around Victim-3’s ankle. Victim-3 attempted to push Bazrouk away and cursed at him. Bazrouk then punched Victim-3 in the nose with a closed fist,” the DOJ said in a statement.

Law enforcement searched a cellphone belonging to Bazrouk that contained evidence of his “antisemitic bias and his support for anti-Jewish terrorist groups, including Hamas,” according to the DOJ. He also allegedly identified himself as a “Jew hater” and said Jews were “worthless.” The DOJ said that this demonstrated Bazrouk’s motive in the assaults.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.