Pro-Palestinian activist who bragged about assaulting New York Jews sentenced for spree of antisemitic violence

“His lawyer is essentially arguing, ‘Beat a Jew, get two free.’ This is beyond despicable.”

By Andrew Bernard, Algemeiner

A pro-Palestinian activist was sentenced on Friday to 18 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for his multi-year spree of violence against Jews.

Saadah Masoud, 29, of Staten Island, New York, pled guilty in federal court in November 2022 to conspiring to commit hate crimes in connection with his attacks on Jewish victims. As part of the guilty plea, he admitted to three assaults in 2021 and 2022.

He was sentenced on Friday by Judge Denise Cote in the Southern District of New York.

A sentencing document filed by prosecutors in February showcases the extent of Masoud’s antisemitism and the brutality of his crimes.

“I beat the s*** out of three Zionist[s] yesterday and didn’t even see a jail cell,” Masoud told his associates in the messaging app Signal on May 19, 2021, according to court documents. “ONLY VIOLENCE,” he exhorted, saying that they would only receive a minor ticket for attacking Jews.

The following day, May 20, Masoud arrived at a pro-Israel demonstration where he approached a man wearing a Star of David necklace, shouted at him, “Are you a f****** Jew?” and then punched the man in the face. After the assault, Masoud texted his friends: “no videos of me anywhere lmaooo. I’m Gucci. No face no case.”

Two weeks later on June 2, Masoud attacked his second victim, popular local Jewish radio host and city council candidate Heshy Tischler, outside of his home in Brooklyn. Masoud wrote in an Instagram direct message after the attack, “nah some jew politician said i assaulted him,” and said his lawyer was able to get him released without bail.

Masoud’s third assault was on 28-year-old Matt Greenman, who attended a pro-Palestinian demonstration draped in an Israeli flag in April 2022.

Greenman recounted the attack in an interview with New York broadcaster PIX 11. A group of men marching in a pro-Palestinian demonstration spotted him on the corner of Lexington Avenue and 42nd Street in midtown Manhattan.

Masoud’s friends “started to make a little circle and he got me from behind, got me on the ground, and punched me in the face,” said Greenman. “I got this black eye. He kicked me in the face a whole bunch.”

Greenman was taken to the hospital and treated for a concussion.

Despite his efforts to conceal his actions, his guilty plea for the attacks, and what prosecutors described as “his awareness of hate crime statutes, and the severity of charges under hate crime statutes,” Masoud’s defense argued before Friday’s hearing that he should receive only 6 months in prison despite sentencing guidelines recommending 18-24 months.

The defense argued that because New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg granted a six-month sentence plea deal to a man who attacked a yarmulke-wearing Jewish man at the same rally where Masoud committed one of his assaults, Masoud should therefore receive the same sentence.

Gerard Filitti, a lawyer representing Greenman and a Senior Counsel at the Lawfare Project, called that argument “disgusting.”

“Masoud pled guilty to a conspiracy whose overt acts included three violent attacks on three separate occasions,” Filitti told The Algemeiner. “His lawyer is essentially arguing, ‘Beat a Jew, get two free.’ This is beyond despicable.”

Prosecutors describe Masoud’s antisemitic tirades continuing even after his arrest on 14 June, 2022.

“When the defendant was brought to the courthouse following his arrest, he recognized the case detective and said to him, ‘All this for one Jew?’” the prosecution’s sentencing filing says. Speaking before the sentencing hearing, Filitti said this case demonstrated the need for more federal hate crimes prosecutions.

“While I fully expect the Court to see Masoud for what he is – an unrepentant Jew-hater – his submission showcases the very need for more federal prosecutions of antisemitic hate crimes, in order to deter violent attacks against the Jewish community,” Filitti said. “Deterrence is only served by imposing consequences, and holding perpetrators accountable for their hate-filled conduct.”

AntisemitismHate crimeNew YorkPro-Palestinian activists