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Tarek Bazrouk could have faced up to 30 years in prison for antisemitic attacks but will instead serve 17 months.
The 20-year-old Palestinian American, who prosecutors say supports Hamas and Hezbollah, was charged with multiple federal hate crimes. He was accused of punching and kicking Jewish protesters at several pro-Israel rallies over a nine-month period in New York City, starting last year. He pleaded guilty to one count in a plea deal.
“I think it’s disgusting. I was wearing an Israeli flag. I was wearing my hat with the Israeli flag. I had my Jewish star out … it’s just disgusting what he did,” said pro-Israel protester Roman Efraimov. He was identified as the last person Tarek attacked during a rally earlier this year.
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Court papers say Bazrouk “identified himself as a Jew-hater, labeled Jews as worthless, exhorted Allah to get us rid of Jews,” and, in one text message presented by prosecutors, wished that he could set a Jewish protester on fire.
But in court, he was contrite and said that he apologized.
“I’m sorry, guys, and I hope that you forgive me for my actions,” said Bazrouk, as he turned around and addressed Efraimov and Elisha Baker, who said he was assaulted by Bazrouk. “I promise you, Judge, that if you give me a chance, you will not be disappointed.”
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“I don’t believe that he has remorse or knows the seriousness of the crime,” said Efraimov. He said Bazrouk “smirked” at him in court.
“He turned around a few times and had a smirk on his face, and that was troubling.”
Bazrouk was charged with attacking Jews at three protests — the first outside the New York Stock Exchange, the second at a rally near Columbia University, and the last at a demonstration on Manhattan’s East Side, where Efraimov said Bazrouk punched him in the face.
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“If you assault somebody unprovoked just because that random somebody is an actual or perceived Jew,” said Judge Berman, “because you, the assaulter, hate Jews, you are very likely to go to jail. It’s that simple.”
Authorities also say they found $750,000 in cash at Bazrouk’s apartment, as well as weapons, and that he has an arrest record that includes robbery, assault, and operating a drug factory in Hartford, Connecticut. Those charges are still pending.
Supporters claim that Bazrouk was a victim of “political repression.” The group Palestinian Youth Movement said he “has been held in a federal prison for his activism” and that “he needs community support.” His lawyer, Andrew Dalack, denied that Bazrouk supports Hamas and Hezbollah and argued for a six-month sentence.
But those who said Bazrouk had assaulted them said the longer sentence carries meaning for those who wish to attack Jews.
“The court sent a message today, and that is, if you assault Jews on the basis of their Judaism — if you assault people like me because I wear a kippah and wear a blue square — you will be held accountable. And that is the promise of America, and I am grateful to the court for sending that message,” said Baker.
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“He said he cares about the suffering in Palestine, but he didn’t say anything about the families of those murdered by Hamas,” Efraimov told Fox News. “Antisemitism is terrible.”
Fox News producer David Hammelburg contributed to this report.
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