Mohammed Othman
Overview
Mohammed Othman was sentenced to 5.5 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple violent anti-Semitic crimes, including joining in a mob attack on a Jewish man. His crimes took place on May 20, 2021 in New York, New York.Othman’s involvement in the anti-Semitic mob attack occurred when he and others assaulted Joseph Borgen, an Orthodox Jewish man going to a pro-Israel rally in New York City’s Times Square. Othman was arrested in July 2021 and charged with two hate crimes and gang assault in the first degree. He pleaded guilty in September 2023.
On May 20, 2021, the same day as his assault on Borgen, Othman hurled fireworks into a crowded street, which burned a woman, physically assaulted Jews multiple times, attempted to breach a police barrier and fled from police during a violent counterprotest.
As of December 2023, Othman was listed as a defendant in a civil lawsuit brought in connection to the crimes he committed on May 20, 2021.
Othman also burned [00:25:08] an Israeli flag during a May 18, 2021 rally organized by Within Our Lifetime (WOL), an anti-Israel activist group in New York City founded by Nerdeen Kiswani.
Othman had previously pleaded guilty to second-degree assault as a hate crime.
The Manhattan Assistant District Attorney reportedly said Othman’s phone records showed that his May 20, 2021 attack was premeditated. The crimes are detailed below.
The police reportedly charged Othman with other hate crimes during the same counterprotest: “gang assault, assault and reckless endangerment as a hate crime.”
Othman reportedly had at least six prior arrests as well, including charges for: “unlawful possession of marijuana in 2016, criminal possession of marijuana in 2017, possession of a forged instrument in 2019 and domestic violence with strangulation in 2020.”
In May 2021, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists fired over 4,300 rockets from Gaza at major population centers in Israel. Israel responded by launching OGW, carrying out targeted military strikes in Gaza.
Other video footage from the rally also showed Othman violently throwing [00:00:52] a can at a person participating in the pro-Israel rally, while that person was being attacked by a gang of anti-Israel activists.
Later in the day, Othman also verbally and physically assaulted [00:00:22] a visibly Jewish man standing in a crosswalk. Othman and other anti-Israel activists threatened the Jewish man’s life.
Members of the group, some masked, and one wearing [00:00:24] a Palestinian flag as a cape, shouted: “P**sy, Zionist, racist, a**hole!and “I’ll kill you!” [00:00:13] and “F**king Zionist...motherf**ker!” and “Pu**y n**ga!”
Othman screamed at the same Jewish man: [00:00:16] “You wanna kill kids, right?” then added [00:00:17]: “You gotta support that s**t, right?!”
Othman then physically assaulted [00:00:22] the Jewish man and fled with the rest of the group, pursued by a police officer.
In video footage of that incident, circulated on Twitter, Othman could be seen [00:00:18] at the center of the screen wearing the same clothes and keffiyeh covering his face that he wore when attacking [00:00:06] Joseph Borgen.
Acts of violence and physical confrontations with police have frequently occurred at WOL protests and marches. WOL uses harassment campaigns to target pro-Israel organizations or companies that do business with Israel, making it a part of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Multiple activists who have either burned Israeli flags or led chants at WOL rallies were later jailed for violent anti-Semitic hate crimes, including Saadah Masoud and Waseem Awawdeh. In Masoud’s case, he received 18 months in jail for an anti-Semitic assault at an April 2022 WOL rally and two other anti-Semitic assaults in 2021.
WOL promotes “resistance” against Israel “by any means necessary,” calls to “Globalize the Intifada,” spreads incitement and idolizes [00:34:06] Palestinian terrorists like Leila Khaled and others at rallies and online events.
WOL was founded by Nerdeen Kiswani and Dan Cione in 2015. Kiswani is a frequent speaker at WOL rallies where she has promoted terrorism against Israelis and called for the death of Zionists. She has also provided support for Masoud and other activists following their arrests.
WOL began as the New York City chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), going by NYC SJP, but changed its name in 2018. The group is not found to be registered in any U.S. state as a nonprofit organization under its official name. Nor is there any listing for WOL under its name on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website for tax-exempt organizations.
As of December 2023, Othman was listed as a defendant in a civil lawsuit brought in connection to the crimes he committed on May 20, 2021.
Othman also burned [00:25:08] an Israeli flag during a May 18, 2021 rally organized by Within Our Lifetime (WOL), an anti-Israel activist group in New York City founded by Nerdeen Kiswani.
WOL’s “Points of Unity” states [point 3]: “We defend the right of Palestinians as colonized people to resist the zionist occupation by any means necessary.”
December 20, 2023 - Sentenced to Prison for Hate Crimes
On December 20, 2023, Othman was reportedly sentenced to five and a half years in prison, followed by five years of probation.Othman had previously pleaded guilty to second-degree assault as a hate crime.
The Manhattan Assistant District Attorney reportedly said Othman’s phone records showed that his May 20, 2021 attack was premeditated. The crimes are detailed below.
July 7, 2021 - Arrested on Anti-Semitic Hate Crime Charges
Othman was arrested on July 7, 2021, and charged with three separate anti-Semitic hate crime assaults he committed during a May 20, 2021 violent counterprotest in Times Square, New York.The police reportedly charged Othman with other hate crimes during the same counterprotest: “gang assault, assault and reckless endangerment as a hate crime.”
Othman reportedly had at least six prior arrests as well, including charges for: “unlawful possession of marijuana in 2016, criminal possession of marijuana in 2017, possession of a forged instrument in 2019 and domestic violence with strangulation in 2020.”
May 20, 2021 - Violent Activities During Counterprotest in Times Square
During a violent counterprotest, Othman physically assaulted [00:00:06] Jews multiple [00:00:22] times and hurled [00:00:02] a firework that burned a woman. He also attempted [00:02:42] to breach a police barrier and fled [00:03:50] from the police who proceeded to arrest violent activists.
On May 20, 2021, Othman participated [00:00:29] in a violent counterprotest against a pro-Israel rally in Times Square. He was recorded in multiple [00:00:29] videos wearing [00:05:25] a vertically striped red and black soccer-style jersey with white text on its back, a Palestine flag scarf around his neck and a black and white keffiyeh masking his face.
On May 20, 2021, Othman participated [00:00:29] in a violent counterprotest against a pro-Israel rally in Times Square. He was recorded in multiple [00:00:29] videos wearing [00:05:25] a vertically striped red and black soccer-style jersey with white text on its back, a Palestine flag scarf around his neck and a black and white keffiyeh masking his face.
In May 2021, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists fired over 4,300 rockets from Gaza at major population centers in Israel. Israel responded by launching OGW, carrying out targeted military strikes in Gaza.
Repeatedly Attacking Jews
Othman physically assaulted [00:00:06] Joseph Borgen, a Jewish man who was heading to the pro-Israel rally in Times Square, by pepper-spraying him, while other anti-Israel activists violently attacked Borgen and reportedly yelled: “You dirty Jew! F**k Israel! Go back to your country!” Once Borgen was on the ground, he was attacked with a crutch and stomped by several counterprotesters.
In a video of the incident circulated on Twitter, Othman could be seen [00:00:04] at the center of the screen, wearing a vertically-striped red and black football-style shirt with a black and white keffiyeh masking his face, as he pepper-sprayed Borgen on the ground, then fled.
In a video of the incident circulated on Twitter, Othman could be seen [00:00:04] at the center of the screen, wearing a vertically-striped red and black football-style shirt with a black and white keffiyeh masking his face, as he pepper-sprayed Borgen on the ground, then fled.
Other video footage from the rally also showed Othman violently throwing [00:00:52] a can at a person participating in the pro-Israel rally, while that person was being attacked by a gang of anti-Israel activists.
Later in the day, Othman also verbally and physically assaulted [00:00:22] a visibly Jewish man standing in a crosswalk. Othman and other anti-Israel activists threatened the Jewish man’s life.
Members of the group, some masked, and one wearing [00:00:24] a Palestinian flag as a cape, shouted: “P**sy, Zionist, racist, a**hole!and “I’ll kill you!” [00:00:13] and “F**king Zionist...motherf**ker!” and “Pu**y n**ga!”
Othman screamed at the same Jewish man: [00:00:16] “You wanna kill kids, right?” then added [00:00:17]: “You gotta support that s**t, right?!”
Othman then physically assaulted [00:00:22] the Jewish man and fled with the rest of the group, pursued by a police officer.
In video footage of that incident, circulated on Twitter, Othman could be seen [00:00:18] at the center of the screen wearing the same clothes and keffiyeh covering his face that he wore when attacking [00:00:06] Joseph Borgen.
Hurling a Lit Firework into a Crowded Street, Burning a Woman
During the violent counterprotest, Othman threw [00:00:02] a lit, commercial-grade firework from the back of a pickup truck into the middle of a crowded street in the heavily-Jewish Diamond District in Manhattan.
The explosive device detonated and reportedly caused burns to the lower back of a woman. When the firework exploded, Othman could be seen [00:00:09] celebrating the explosion, holding his middle finger up, wearing the same outfit he wore when he physically assaulted Joseph Borgen.
The following day, NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force called people to report any information regarding Othman’s whereabouts.
During the rally, anti-Israel activists pushed against a police barricade erected to separate the two groups. The anti-Israel side breached the barricade and marched toward the pro-Israel side where they verbally assaulted the pro-Israel activists. Separate videos showed some anti-Israel activists also stealing Israeli flags from the pro-Israel activists.
The anti-Israel activists then moved back to their side of the barricade where some of them chanted at the Israel supporters: “Nazis! Nazis!”
After demonstrators threw projectiles, police removed the barricade and proceeded to arrest several anti-Israel activists. Police declared the assembly to be “unlawful” and demanded that the crowd disperse or be arrested. Despite police warnings, some rioters reportedly continued to throw projectiles at police while others fled the scene.
On May 21 and 22, 2021, WOL published two Instagram posts that portrayed the anti-Israel rioters as victims and offered legal support and advice to anyone arrested “protesting for Palestine.”
The explosive device detonated and reportedly caused burns to the lower back of a woman. When the firework exploded, Othman could be seen [00:00:09] celebrating the explosion, holding his middle finger up, wearing the same outfit he wore when he physically assaulted Joseph Borgen.
The following day, NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force called people to report any information regarding Othman’s whereabouts.
Attempting to Breach a Police Barrier
During the violent counterprotest, Othman attempted [00:02:42] to breach a police barrier together with other anti-Israel activists. In a video of the incident, Othman could be seen [00:02:39] on the right side of the screen, wearing the same outfit he wore when he pepper-sprayed Joseph Borgen.During the rally, anti-Israel activists pushed against a police barricade erected to separate the two groups. The anti-Israel side breached the barricade and marched toward the pro-Israel side where they verbally assaulted the pro-Israel activists. Separate videos showed some anti-Israel activists also stealing Israeli flags from the pro-Israel activists.
The anti-Israel activists then moved back to their side of the barricade where some of them chanted at the Israel supporters: “Nazis! Nazis!”
After demonstrators threw projectiles, police removed the barricade and proceeded to arrest several anti-Israel activists. Police declared the assembly to be “unlawful” and demanded that the crowd disperse or be arrested. Despite police warnings, some rioters reportedly continued to throw projectiles at police while others fled the scene.
Fleeing from the Police
After Othman attacked Joseph Borgen at the counter-protest, Othman fled [00:03:50] from the police when they proceeded to arrest activists after declaring the assembly unlawful. In a video of the event, Othman could be seen [00:03:50] on the left side of the screen, wearing the same outfit he did when he physically assaulted Borgen.On May 21 and 22, 2021, WOL published two Instagram posts that portrayed the anti-Israel rioters as victims and offered legal support and advice to anyone arrested “protesting for Palestine.”
Sued for Anti-Semitic Assault
As of January 17, 2023, Othman was listed as one of five defendants in a civil lawsuit brought by Borgen. The other defendants were Waseem Awawdeh, Faisal Elezzi, Mahmoud Musa and a minor with the initials “K.A.”
The lawsuit said [p. 5] that the defendants “punched, kicked, pepper sprayed him, and otherwise assaulted Mr. Borgen just because he was Jewish (and visibly so), causing great pain and serious physical damage to him, requiring surgery. The widely publicized attack left Jews around the country feeling scared just to engage in normal activities publicly, let alone advocacy for Israel, out of fear that they too could be targeted and hurt by these Antisemitic gangs.”
The WOL Instagram post for the rally called it an “Emergency Rally to Defend Palestine” and directed protesters to gather “OUTSIDE THE ZIONIST MISSION TO THE U.N.”
During the rally, a mob of anti-Israel activists, led by Saadah Masoud, violently attacked [00:02:17] two men, one of whom held an Israeli flag.
Other anti-Israel activists at the rally chanted: “There is only one solution! Intifada, Revolution.”
Since the early 2000s, the term “intifada,” which translates from Arabic as “uprising” or “insurrection,” has carried the connotation of violence.
The lawsuit said [p. 5] that the defendants “punched, kicked, pepper sprayed him, and otherwise assaulted Mr. Borgen just because he was Jewish (and visibly so), causing great pain and serious physical damage to him, requiring surgery. The widely publicized attack left Jews around the country feeling scared just to engage in normal activities publicly, let alone advocacy for Israel, out of fear that they too could be targeted and hurt by these Antisemitic gangs.”
May 18, 2021 - Burning an Israeli Flag at a WOL Rally
Othman burned [00:25:08] an Israeli flag while surrounded by other anti-Israel activists at a WOL rally on May 18, 2021. The rally began outside of the Israeli consulate in Manhattan.The WOL Instagram post for the rally called it an “Emergency Rally to Defend Palestine” and directed protesters to gather “OUTSIDE THE ZIONIST MISSION TO THE U.N.”
During the rally, a mob of anti-Israel activists, led by Saadah Masoud, violently attacked [00:02:17] two men, one of whom held an Israeli flag.
Other anti-Israel activists at the rally chanted: “There is only one solution! Intifada, Revolution.”
Since the early 2000s, the term “intifada,” which translates from Arabic as “uprising” or “insurrection,” has carried the connotation of violence.
WOL
Within Our Lifetime (WOL) is a pro-terror activist group in New York City dedicated to Israel’s destruction within the lifetime of its members.Acts of violence and physical confrontations with police have frequently occurred at WOL protests and marches. WOL uses harassment campaigns to target pro-Israel organizations or companies that do business with Israel, making it a part of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Multiple activists who have either burned Israeli flags or led chants at WOL rallies were later jailed for violent anti-Semitic hate crimes, including Saadah Masoud and Waseem Awawdeh. In Masoud’s case, he received 18 months in jail for an anti-Semitic assault at an April 2022 WOL rally and two other anti-Semitic assaults in 2021.
WOL promotes “resistance” against Israel “by any means necessary,” calls to “Globalize the Intifada,” spreads incitement and idolizes [00:34:06] Palestinian terrorists like Leila Khaled and others at rallies and online events.
WOL was founded by Nerdeen Kiswani and Dan Cione in 2015. Kiswani is a frequent speaker at WOL rallies where she has promoted terrorism against Israelis and called for the death of Zionists. She has also provided support for Masoud and other activists following their arrests.
WOL began as the New York City chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), going by NYC SJP, but changed its name in 2018. The group is not found to be registered in any U.S. state as a nonprofit organization under its official name. Nor is there any listing for WOL under its name on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website for tax-exempt organizations.
- Status:
- Professional
- University:
- Organizations:
- WOL
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- Last Modified:
- 06/23/2025
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