New Yorker gets 17 months for attacking pro-Israel demonstrators

Tarek Bazrouk admitted targeting Jewish men at three Gaza war protests.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

A New York native of Palestinian extraction was sentenced Tuesday in federal court to 17 months in prison for assaulting pro-Israel counterprotesters on three occasions during demonstrations against the war in Gaza.

Tarek Bazrouk, 20, pleaded guilty to federal hate crime charges filed because he had “willfully caused bodily injury” to his victims due to their “actual and perceived” race, religion and national origin, according to the indictment.

In April and December 2024 and February 2025, Bazrouk yelled antisemitic slurs and either punched or kicked three victims who appeared obviously Jewish.

Two of the men wore kippahs, and one had a Jewish star on his neck. All of them either held or wore Israeli flags as they demonstrated during pro-Palestinian rallies in Manhattan.

Prosecutors had sought at least a three-year sentence due to Bazrouk’s “repeated, premeditated assaults on Jewish individuals based on their ethnicity and religion,” and “the ongoing danger he poses to Jews.”

They cited his membership in a chat group that received “regular updates” from Abu Obeida, Hamas’ top propagandist and spokesman whom Israel assassinated early last month, and text messages in which he said he was a “Jew-hater” and called on “Allah” to “get us rid of [Jews].”

Investigators also found weapons in Bazrouk’s apartment, including a hunting knife, brass knuckles, and spent ammunition shell casings.

In a letter to the court that Judge Richard Berman read aloud, Bazrouk wrote in part: “I don’t want to see more attacks on Israel like the one committed by Hamas on October 7. I don’t want to see any more people in Gaza die of starvation or from bombings. What I know now that I wish I knew a year ago is this: I’m certain that punching and kicking Jewish or Israeli people won’t solve anything.”

But when given a chance to speak at sentencing, he offered only a one-line apology to two of his victims who were in the federal courtroom.

“I’m sorry, guys, and I hope that you forgive me for my actions,” he said.

Roman Efraimov, whom Bazrouk had punched in the nose, dismissed the apology, telling the judge, “I don’t believe he has remorse or knows the seriousness of the crime.”

Elisha Baker, whom Bazrouk had kicked in the chest while wearing a green Hamas headband, said in his victim statement: “My experiences as a Jew in America have been altered forever because of the actions of this man. When I looked in his eyes, I saw someone who sought to hurt me and cause me pain just because of who I am.”

Before the sentencing, more than 12,000 people had signed a petition asking the judge to limit Bazrouk’s punishment to the five months he has already spent in jail, and about 200 anti-Israel activists came to show support at the hearing.

In contrast, his sister Anwar told the court that her family “strongly condemn violence in all forms,” and, “We are all committed to making sure that nothing like this happens again.”

anti-Israel demonstrationHate crimeNew York City