NYC Antisemite Who Called Himself a ‘Jew Hater’ Gets Only 17 Months for Series of Attacks on Jews

Tarek Bazrouk, a 20-year-old Palestinian and outspoken antisemite in New York City, was sentenced to 17 months in prison for a string of antisemitic assaults committed during anti-Israel protests. The attacks, which took place between April 2024 and January 2025, targeted visibly Jewish individuals in Manhattan and were without provocation.

Bazrouk’s sentencing drew a crowd of about 200 supporters at the federal courthouse in Manhattan. Despite earlier warnings from Judge Richard Berman in June that he could face up to five years behind bars, Bazrouk ultimately received only a year and a half in prison—on the higher end of his plea agreement’s 12–18 month guideline. He will also serve three years of supervised release.

Supporters of the Jew hater and violent attacked included the Palestinian Youth Movement, which lobbied for his release, claiming that he was “targeted” because he is Palestinian, ignoring ample evidence of his crimes and plastering social media with pictures of him in peaceful poses, with his hands shaped into a heart.

“If you assault somebody unprovoked just because that random somebody is an actual or perceived Jew,” Judge Berman stated, “because you, the assaulter, hate Jews, you are very likely to go to jail. It’s that simple.” The judge added that his message applied to hate crimes against any group, including Palestinians.

One of the victims, Elisha Baker, expressed appreciation for the court’s decision. “The message that the court sent today is that if you assault Jews on the basis of their Judaism and membership in the Jewish people, you will be held accountable,” he told The Times of Israel.

During his June hearing, Bazrouk had pleaded guilty to three hate crime assaults but offered no apology to his Jewish victims. Instead, he addressed the Palestinian community, saying, “I am sorry. I am Palestinian and I participated in the protest to display my outrage… I should not have used violence. I hope my family and community can forgive me.”

On April 15, 2024, Bazrouk kicked a man wearing a kippa in the chest while the victim sang a Jewish song and held an Israeli flag near the New York Stock Exchange. He assaulted two others during the same protest. Later that year, he texted that he would “boom boom boom” the next Jewish person he saw, and subsequently punched another Jewish man carrying an Israeli flag during a December 9 protest.

Prosecutors said Bazrouk struck again on January 6, 2025, punching another flag-bearing demonstrator in the face. Although he had no connection to Columbia University, he joined several of its campus protests as an outside agitator.

When federal agents searched Bazrouk’s Manhattan home after his May arrest, they uncovered four knives, brass knuckles, a replica firearm, and $750,000 in cash hidden in a safe. His phone contained messages in which he called Jews “worthless,” referred to himself as a “Jew hater,” and said he was proud that family members were fighting with Hamas terrorists.

Prosecutors revealed that Bazrouk was part of a chat group that received updates from Abu Obeda, spokesman for Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades. His lawyers denied any link between their client and the terror group. The seized cash was forfeited to the government.

Judge Berman had cautioned in June that Bazrouk could face up to five years in prison, along with a $250,000 fine and restitution payments. Tuesday’s sentence of just 17 months marks a far lighter punishment than the maximum penalty once on the table.