Man who repeatedly assaulted Jews in NYC sentenced to 17 months in prison

Tarek Bazrouk, a US anti-Israel activist in New York City, is sentenced to 17 months in prison for a series of attacks against Jews.

Bazrouk, who is Palestinian, attacked Jews at anti-Israel protests on three occasions last year and early this year.

He became a cause célèbre for the pro-Palestinian movement in the US. More than 10,000 people signed a petition seeking leniency in the sentencing.

Around 200 supporters turn out for his sentencing in New York’s federal Southern District court.

Bazrouk signed a plea agreement in June that included a sentencing guideline of 12-18 months in prison, so the judge’s sentence is at the high end of the guidelines.

The sentence also includes three years of supervised release.

“If you assault somebody unprovoked just because that random somebody is an actual or perceived Jew,” the judge, Richard Berman, says, “because you, the assaulter, hate Jews, you are very likely to go to jail. It’s that simple.”

Berman stresses that the ruling is not particular to Jews, but to hate crimes against any group, including Palestinians.

One of the victims, Elisha Baker, says he’s “grateful” for the judge’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,” Baker tells The Times of Israel.

Jews are targeted in hate crimes more than any other group in New York City, but hate crime convictions are rare.