Man who attacked Israeli in NY after Oct. 7 sentenced to 90 days in jail

By Luke Tress

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16 September 2026, 1:09 am

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Luke Tress is The Times of Israel's New York correspondent.

An assailant convicted of an antisemitic hate crime for attacking an Israeli in New York City after the October 2023 invasion of Israel is sentenced to 90 days in jail.

Yehia Amin in March pleaded guilty to assault as a hate crime in the third degree in Manhattan’s New York Supreme Criminal Court.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office says Amin was sentenced Tuesday to 90 days in jail followed by five years of probation, according to a plea agreement.

On October 18, 2023, shortly after the Hamas invasion of Israel, Amin stalked and punched a 23-year-old Jewish Israeli near Times Square, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said in an indictment after the incident.

The man was with four friends, all of whom were wearing kippahs, when they walked by Amin, who recognized them as Jewish and pursued them.

Amin, who was 28 at the time of the attack, taunted the group, telling them, “Hamas should kill more of you,” “May Allah kill all the Jews,” and “All Jews should die,” according to the District Attorney’s Office.

While Amin pursued the Israelis, he blasted music from a speaker that he later described as “Hamas music.”

The group tried to report Amin to a security guard, then headed to a train station to leave Times Square, but Amin continued to follow them, saying, “All Jews are crybabies,” and “I want to kill you for Gaza.”

After around 10 minutes of harassment, Amin ran up behind the victim and punched him in the back of the head, causing substantial pain and minor injuries.

Amin fled the scene and the Israeli tourist and his friends followed him. A police officer joined the pursuit, caught Amin and arrested him.

While under arrest, Amin continued to shout antisemitic statements, including, “God kill all the Jewish people,” the District Attorney’s Office said.

The attack was one of 69 antisemitic incidents reported to police in October 2023, more than double the total of the preceding two months combined.

Jews are targeted in hate crimes far more than any other group in New York City.