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Mohammed Said Othman
Mohammed Said Othman was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to participating in an anti-Semitic gang assault on a Jewish man in May 2021 in New York, New York.
Othman has also reportedly aspired to join the Hamas terror group to kill Israeli soldiers.
Othman’s involvement in the anti-Semitic mob attack occurred on May 20, 2021, 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 February 2023 and charged with multiple violent crimes. He entered a guilty plea in September 2023.
On May 20, 2021, the same day as his anti-Semitic assault, Othman pushed and breached a police barricade, dumped items onto the road to obstruct the police, stole a sound speaker and burned an Israeli flag during a violent anti-Israel counterprotest in Times Square.
On May 15, 2021, Othman participated in a protest 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: “We defend the right of Palestinians as colonized people to resist the zionist occupation by any means necessary.”
For more information, see the Canary Mission page Within Our Lifetime: The NYC Org Inciting Its Activists To Violence.
On January 31, 2024, Othman was sentenced in the Manhattan Supreme Court to three years in prison and three years post-release supervision after he pleaded guilty to participating in the May 20, 2021 anti-Semitic mob attack on Joseph Borgen.
For more information on the May 20, 2021 incident, see the section below titled: “May 20-21, 2021 - Burning Flags and Stealing Items at a Violent Protest.”
Othman’s participation in Borgen’s assault was reportedly confirmed by fellow anti-Israel activist Waseem Awadeh, who pleaded guilty in April 2023 to his role in the May 20, 2021 attack.
On June 4, 2021, StopAntisemitism.org tweeted a screenshot of an undated comment Othman made on TikTok, which said: “I will join hamas and kill the idf [Israel Defense Forces] if I get a chance.”
Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., Canada, European Union, Israel and other countries. Founded in 1987, it has killed thousands of Israeli civilians through mass shootings and suicide bombings. Hamas has also kidnapped children, families and the elderly and held them hostage in Gaza. It has desecrated [slide 7] dead bodies and launched numerous rocket attacks against Israeli civilians.
Othman was wanted by the NYPD in connection to an anti-Semitic assault on Joseph Borgan, a Jewish man who was attacked by a mob on his way to a pro-Israel rally in Times Square on May 20, 2021. Othman engaged [00:01:33] with anti-Israel activists in a violent counterprotest of the rally that same day.
On June 2, 2021, Othman was one of three individuals, whose photos featured in a tweet by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force (NYPD Hate Crimes) Twitter account, who wrote: “Additional photos of another three individuals wanted in connection to the anti-Semitic assault on May 20th at 1604 Broadway in Manhattan. Know them? Were you there and have better pictures or videos of any of them? Please check and DM us or☎️@NYPDTips 1-800-577-TIPS.”
On June 4, 2021, Othman’s first name was identified by StopAntisemitism.org who responded to the tweet with another photo of Othman and wrote: “Man on the right - appears to [be] named Mohamed and is a volunteer firefighter in Bensonhurst.”
On April 21, 2022, another Twitter user tweeted to the NYPD Hate Crimes Twitter account in response to their June 2, 2021 tweet: “@NYPDHateCrimes the man on the far right of this photo, Moe Othman still has not been arrested for vicious antisemitic attacks committed last year. Have a lot of evidence to provide; please reach out.”
Othman forcibly moved [00:01:33] police barricades, threw [00:14:31] items into the road as obstacles to the police, stole [00:01:41] a sound speaker, burned [00:57:57] an Israeli flag and hurled [00:40:47] abuse at Israel supporters during a violent anti-Israel protest in Times Square.
During the counterprotest, anti-Israel activists stole a rally-goer’s Israeli flags, assaulted many of the Israel supporters and threw projectiles at the police and Israel supporters.
Othman celebrated the release of Waseem Awawdeh who was arrested and charged for assault as a hate crime when he attacked a Jewish man on his way to the pro-Israel rally.
More than two dozen were arrested and WOL lent legal support to them the following day.
Othman, and other anti-Israel activists forcibly pushed [00:01:33] and eventually breached [00:35:22] a barricade erected to separate the pro-Israel rally from the counter-protest. Othman can be seen [00:01:34] wearing a black t-shirt, denim jeans and a black and white scarf tied around his mouth and another around his forehead.Othman also reached [00:01:41] over the barricade and stole a sound speaker that was placed on the pro-Israel side.
The anti-Israel activists marched toward the pro-Israel rally as they chanted and yelled at the pro-Israel side and stole Israeli flags from some of the pro-Israel activists.
The anti-Israel activists then moved back to their side of the barrier where they later chanted at the Israel supporters: “Nazis! Nazis!” At the same time, Othman held [00:40:47] his middle finger up at the Israel supporters. Othman can be seen [00:40:47] in the middle of the screen wearing the same clothes as mentioned earlier.
Othman also burned [00:57:57] an Israeli flag in front of the Israel supporters. Othman and other anti-Israel activists marched up to the barrier and screamed [00:04:00] “Allahu Akhbar [God is the greatest]” at the Israel supporters.
After demonstrators threw projectiles, police removed the barricade and proceeded to arrest several anti-Israel activists. Police declared that the “assembly is unlawful” and demanded the crowd disperse or be arrested. Despite police warnings, some rioters reportedly continued to throw projectiles at police while others fled the scene.
The police proceeded to arrest several anti-Israel activists while others, including [00:12:09] Othman, fled the scene.
As stated above, Othman can be seen [00:12:09] in the middle to the right-hand side of the screen running and jumping over an obstacle in the road, wearing a black t-shirt, denim jeans and a black and white scarf tied around his mouth and another around his forehead.
Othman and other anti-Israel activists threw [00:14:31] multiple items including garbage bags and chairs into the road in an attempt to create obstacles to law enforcement following after them on bicycles. Othman can be seen in the middle of the screen dragging [00:14:31] an orange traffic barrier.
The anti-Israel activists also launched [00:00:00] two fireworks from a car at passersby in Manhattan's heavily Jewish Diamond district, burning one person.
As police and passersby tended [00:00:34] to the injured person lying on the floor, more anti-Israel activists, including [00:01:38] Othman, drove [00:00:19] and walked by shouting abuse from their car windows while others on the street pushed [00:00:37] people and yelled [00:00:48]: “F**k the Zionists, f**k you!”
On May 21, 2021, WOL posted two Instagram posts that portrayed the rioters as victims and offered legal support and advice to anyone arrested.
On May 23, 2021, Othman featured [00:00:05] in an Instagram video celebrating the release from police custody of Waseem Awawdeh, who had beaten a Jewish pro-Israel activist three days earlier. Awawdeh was charged with assault as a hate crime, menacing as a hate crime and aggravated harassment as a hate crime.
Othman could be seen [00:00:05] in the video carrying Awawdeh on his shoulders. Othman was wearing a white t-shirt and denim jeans with a medical mask around his face.
Awawdeh beat Joseph Borgen with a pair of crutches. He was part of a mob of anti-Israel activists who had attacked and reportedly yelled anti-Semitic slurs at Borgen, who was headed to the pro-Israel rally in Times Square on May 20, 2021.
Borgen was beaten to the ground, kicked and punched. Once on the ground, Awawdeh attacked Borgen with crutches and he was also stomped on and pepper-sprayed. Another rioter, Faisal Elezzi, was also charged with assault as a hate crime, menacing as a hate crime and aggravated harassment as a hate crime.
Othman chanted [00:21:21] anti-Israel chants at a rally organized by WOL in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York.
Othman participated [00:22:35] with anti-Israel protesters at a May 15, 2021, Nakba day protest organized by WOL in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Othman can be seen [00:22:35] in the middle of the screen standing on an elevated platform wearing a dark blue t-shirt, wearing a headband on his forehead and holding a Palestinian flag/
The term “Nakba” is generally translated as “catastrophe” in Arabic, referring to the outcome of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. It is a term used to delegitimize the creation of the State of Israel by drawing a comparison to the Holocaust, known in Hebrew as the Shoah, meaning “catastrophe.”
Othman responded [00:28:13] to chants of “إرفع إيدك علّي الصوت، اللي بيهتف مش حٓ يموت الموت ولا وطني [Raise your hand and raise your voice, who shouts never dies, either death or my country].”
Othman can be seen [00:28:13] in the middle of the screen, wearing the same attire mentioned above and waving a Palestinian flag.
Othman also chanted [00:21:21] with other anti-Israel activists “From the River to the Sea! Palestine will be free!”
“From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free” is a chant used [00:02:47] to call for the elimination of the State of Israel. It has also been employed by Hamas leader Khaled Mashal to call for the replacement of Israel with an Islamic state. In April 2024, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning the chant as antisemitic.
Othman also joined in with chanting [00:22:17] “Free! Free! Gaza!” as well as [00:22:24] “Free Free Al Aqsa!”
Incitement surrounding Al-Aqsa and Sheikh Jarrah were leading factors in Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists firing over 4,300 rockets from Gaza at Israeli cities from May 10 to 21, 2021. In response to rocket attacks from Gaza, Israel launched Operation Guardian of the Walls (OGW), striking military targets in the terrorist-controlled enclave.
The chant: “Be-ruh, be-dam, nifdik ya Aqsa بروح ودم نفديك يا اقصى [With spirit, with blood, we will redeem you, Aqsa]” can be heard [00:01:14] at anti-Israel rallies [00:02:19] in America. Yasser Arafat popularized the chant [00:00:23], which is invoked by anti-Israel protesters regarding a variety of causes.
Other protesters at the rally chanted “Israel is a Terrorist state,” as well as “Israel is a crime.”
On June 4, 2021, Othman was reportedly “a volunteer firefighter in Bensonhurst.”
As of August 2022, Othman used the alias “tallassmoe” on Twitter and used the alias “top______g___” on Instagram.
As of the same date, Othman used the handle “@tallmoe4.00” on Tiktok.
In May 2022, Othman used the alias “mohammed_1994776788” on another Tiktok account that has since been deleted.
As of August 2022, Othman used the alias “top______g___” on Instagram.
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.
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