|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The U.S. Department of Justice has charged Tarek Bazrouk, a 20-year-old New York City resident, with three federal hate crimes following a series of violent antisemitic attacks targeting Jewish individuals between 2024 and 2025.
New court filings and investigative reports reveal that Bazrouk is not only a repeat violent offender but also an open supporter of terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Hezbollah, with a digital trail showing he actively consumed and shared propaganda from Hamas’s al-Qassam Brigades, its so-called military wing.
Though not affiliated with Columbia University, Bazrouk was an active participant in anti-Israel protests on its campus in April 2024. His presence — amid growing tensions and rising reports of antisemitic intimidation — coincided with some of the most volatile demonstrations in the city. According to court filings, he allegedly used these gatherings to target and assault visibly Jewish students, while glorifying Hamas and expressing support for terrorism.
Columbia University later issued a statement clarifying that Bazrouk had no affiliation with the institution, refuting assumptions about his involvement with campus life.
According to court documents unsealed by the Southern District of New York, Bazrouk was part of a private chat group that received regular updates from Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for Hamas’s al-Qassam Brigades. A search of Bazrouk’s phone revealed it was “littered” with pro-Hamas and pro-Hezbollah propaganda, alongside messages expressing virulent antisemitism. He referred to Jews as “worthless,” proudly called himself a “Jew-hater,” and prayed for divine intervention to “get us rid” of Jews. He also expressed joy upon learning that some of his relatives overseas were affiliated with Hamas.
A Pattern of Targeted Antisemitic Violence
Over the course of approximately nine months, Bazrouk allegedly assaulted three visibly Jewish individuals at protests related to the Israel-Hamas war:
- April 15, 2024 — Lower Manhattan: At a protest outside the New York Stock Exchange, Bazrouk — wearing a green Hamas-style headband — lunged at a group of pro-Israel demonstrators. As NYPD officers detained him, he kicked a Jewish college student in the stomach. The victim had been singing Jewish songs alongside peers wearing kippahs and holding Israeli flags.
- December 9, 2024 — Upper Manhattan: Near a university campus, Bazrouk stole an Israeli flag from one Jewish student and then, when the student tried to retrieve it, punched him in the face. The victim and his brother were visibly Jewish — wearing kippahs and draped in Israeli flags while singing Jewish songs.
- January 6, 2025 — Gramercy Park: During another protest, Bazrouk approached a third Jewish victim who was wearing an Israeli flag, a Star of David necklace, and a hat bearing the Israeli flag. After making physical contact, Bazrouk punched the man in the nose with a closed fist.
Despite being arrested after each incident, Bazrouk allegedly continued his campaign of violence, intimidation, and hate. In a text message to a friend during the April 2024 protest, Bazrouk stated he had considered setting someone on fire, but refrained because there were “too many people around.”
National Security Implications
Law enforcement discovered weapons in Bazrouk’s apartment, including a hunting knife, brass knuckles, and spent ammunition shell casings.
“This confirms what many of us suspected,” said New York City Council Member Robert Holden. “These protests weren’t just organic movements. They were infiltrated by individuals with ties to terror groups. It’s disturbing, dangerous, and a wake-up call.”
The House Committee on Education and the Workforce also issued a stark warning: “Antisemitism on our campuses is out of control—sometimes driven by outside agitators who want to ensure hatred festers and deliberately harm the United States.”
If convicted, Bazrouk faces up to 30 years in federal prison.
His case underscores the growing threat posed by radicalized individuals exploiting campus unrest and political protests to glorify terrorism, intimidate Jews, and spread hate both online and in the streets.
“These alleged hate crimes not only violated the victims’ ability to exercise their First Amendment rights, but also sparked fear among a broader population,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “The FBI won’t tolerate this behavior and will apprehend any individual who commits a federal crime seeking to harm others for their religious beliefs.”
