Outrage over Reduced Sentences for Antisemitic Hate Crimes in NYC
Two men charged with battering a Jewish man will spend little to no time in jail for their role in the antisemitic hate crime
In May 2021, Joseph Borgen, a Jewish man wearing a yarmulke, was brutally attacked in an antisemitic gang assault by a group of anti-Israel activists. Borgen was on his way to a pro-Israel rally near New York City’s Times Square.
In an interview with the New York Daily News after the attack, Borgen said, “They hit me with fists, kicked me, hit me with crutches, hit me with signs ... They were saying, ‘You dirty Jew, f--- Israel, go back to your country!’”
Waseem Awawdeh, Faisal Elezzi, Mahmoud Musa and Mohammed Othman were arrested for this crime and charged with multiple counts of gang assault and assault as a hate crime.
Yet Manhattan's District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, offered Awawdeh and Elezzi reduced sentences as part of plea deals, which will see Awawdeh spend a mere six months in jail and Elezzi only entering an intensive treatment program with no jail time at all.
Musa and Othman will have to plead to the highest charge and face a minimum of three and a half years and maximum of 15 years in prison.
The Four Assailants
Waseem Awawdeh pled guilty in April 2023 to attempted assault as a hate crime and criminal possession of a weapon for an anti-Semitic attack he carried out on May 20, 2021.
Mahmoud R. Musa was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty for assaulting a Jewish man in a 2021 mob attack during a violent anti-Israel counterprotest.
Mohammed Othman pled guilty to multiple anti-Semitic crimes, including joining in a violent mob attack on a Jewish man.
Faisal Elezzi pled guilty to attempted assault to cause injury, as a hate crime, for physically attacking a Jewish man in a mob attack in New York City on May 20, 2021.
Manhattan DA Offers Plea Deals
A six-month sentence for Awawdeh following his violent attack on a Jewish man is completely unacceptable. The claim that he should get a lighter sentence downplays his hate-filled motivations and diminishes the brutality of his actions. Awawdeh has shown no remorse and reportedly told his jailors, “If I could do it again, I would do it again...I have no problem doing it again.”
Given the rise in violent hate crimes against Jews in NYC, we would expect an unrepentant and antisemitic criminal to be convicted to the highest degree. In this regard, we applaud the fact that Mohammed Othman and Mahmoud Musa were not given plea deals. We expect they will be convicted and more than the minimum sentence to be applied. The Jews of New York will be a little safer with these Jew-hating criminals off the streets.
It is the responsibility of Governor Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams and DA Alvin Bragg to send a message to the public that committing an antisemitic hate crime will lead to severe consequences.
NYC Anti-Israel Group Encourages Violence
Awawdeh, Othman and Elezzi’s profiles show that this gang assault is not merely a one-time offense but rather the result of extreme Jew-hatred being acted upon. These thugs are affiliated with the dangerous NYC-based anti-Israel group Within Our Lifetime (WOL).
It has been verified that at least three of these assailants attended WOL rallies in the days leading up to the assault. No doubt the violent rhetoric of WOL activists such as Nerdeen Kiswani, Abdullah Akl, Husam Kaid, Saadah Masoud and others resonated with them to the point of brutal and vicious action:
“Resistance by any means necessary”
“There is no peace as long as Israel exists”
“Globalize the intifada!”
WOL attracts and incites violent individuals and has become a significant source of violence and disruption in the city. Yet the authorities continue to grant light sentences to its most violent members and play down the threat to the Jewish community. This must be addressed swiftly to ensure that Jewish residents of New York are safe to walk the streets without fear of assault.
