Youssef Mohamed

Overview

Youssef Mohamed physically assaulted protesters multiple times, attempted to breach a police barrier and fled from the police when they proceeded to arrest anti-Israel activists on May 20, 2021, during a violent counterprotest.

Mohamed has engaged in activism with Within Our Lifetime (WOL), an anti-Israel activist group in New York City founded by Nerdeen Kiswani. Until February 2018, WOL was known as the New York City branch of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), using the name NYC SJP. 

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.”

As of September 2022, Mohamed used the handle “@youssef11147” on Twitter and “@weapon_x72” on Instagram.

As of the same date, Mohamed indicated on Facebook that he was located in Brooklyn, New York.

May 20, 2021 - Violent Times Square Counterprotest

Mohammed physically assaulted [00:02:17] pro-Israel protesters multiple [00:12:53] times, attempted [00:02:38] to breach a police barrier and fled [00:03:48] the police when they proceeded to arrest anti-Israel activists.

Earlier on May 20, 2021, Mohamed participated [00:37:27] in a violent counterprotest against a pro-Israel rally in Times Square. He could be seen [00:37:27] on the right side of the screen wearing a yellow hoodie.

Mohamed also appeared [00:02:20] in multiple news articles that reported about the WOL rally and in a May 21, 2021, Twitter post from the WCBS 880 news radio station. In all of them, Mohamed was wearing a yellow hoodie.

 Physically Assaulting Protesters

In a video posted to YouTube, Mohamed also stood near fellow agitator Rohaan Gill during an attack on a pro-Israel protester. Mohammed tried [00:12:51] to punch the pro-Israel protester who was being physically assaulted by other pro-Palestinian attackers, including Gill.

Mohamed appeared [00:12:53] on the left side of the screen, wearing a yellow hoodie.

The counterprotest occurred during Israel’s Operation Guardian of the Walls(OGW) and was intended to counter a pro-Israel rally that celebrated the announcement of a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.

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.

 Attempting to Breach a Police Barrier

In video footage of the violent counterprotest published on Instagram, Mohamed could be seen [00:02:38] attempting to breach a police-erected barrier together with other anti-Israel activists. He appeared [00:02:38] wearing the same yellow hoodie.

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.

Other video footage published by New York Street and FreedomNews TV, showed [00:35:36] some anti-Israel activists also stealing [00:00:46] Israeli flags from 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!”

 Fleeing the Police 

In FreedomNews TV video footage published May 20, 2021, Mohamed could be seen fleeing [00:03:48] the police when they proceeded to arrest anti-Israel activists. Mohamed appeared [00:03:48] on the left side of the screen wearing a yellow hoodie.

During the rally, after demonstrators threw projectiles, police removed the barricade it had installed 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. 

While police used bicycles to disperse the rioters and pursue a number of them, some anti-Israel activists overturned police barricades to obstruct the street. Others threw garbage bags filled with trash onto the street while others dragged traffic barriers onto the street and overturned fencing. 

Also during the really, anti-Israel activists from the counterprotest violently attacked and reportedly yelled anti-Semitic slurs at Joseph Borgen, a Jewish man who was heading to the pro-Israel rally in Times Square. 

Borgen was beaten to the ground, kicked and punched. Once he was on the ground he was attacked with a crutch, stomped by several counterprotesters and pepper-sprayed.  

Police arrested two of the anti-Israel activists and charged them with assault as a hate crime, menacing as a hate crime, and aggravated harassment as a hate crime. That same day, other anti-Israel activists also shot fireworks at people. 

On May 21, 2021, WOL posted two Instagram posts that offered legal advice to anyone arrested “protesting for Palestine.” The posts also portrayed the assailants as victims.

 May 22, 2021 -WOL Rally for Palestine

Mohamed participated in a May 22, 2021, WOL rally in Queens, titled: “QUEENS RALLY FOR PALESTINE - Rain or Shine Defend Palestine! - Solidarity with the People’s Resistance From Colombia to Gaza!” 

Among Palestinians and anti-Israel activists, the term “resistance” can be a euphemism for nationalistic terror. It is often used to excuse or even glorify anti-Israel and anti-Semitic violence.  

Mohamed appeared in an Instagram photo holding a Palestinian flag together with violent anti-Israel agitator Saadah Masoud.

At the same rally, Masoud burned an Israeli flag and anti-Israel activists chanted [slide 2]: “Intifada! Intifada! Long Live the Intifada!” and [slide 3] “United Nations at what cost?! Will you stop this Holocaust?!” 

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.

Social Media and Weblinks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/youssef.mohamed.714    

Twitter: https://twitter.com/youssef11147 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weapon_x72/ [Private]