Tarek Bazrouk, 20, of New York City, New York, United States was arrested again. He deliberately targeted and assaulted Jewish victims at protests relating to the Gaza war, according to Walter Joseph “Jay” Clayton III, 58, who has been the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York since April 16, 2025.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas, which was led by Palestinian militant groups, launched a surprise attack on Israel. A total of 1,195 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
Tarek Bazrouk
Bazrouk assaulted Jewish victims in New York City on three separate occasions between 2024 and 2025. He was arrested after each incident.
On April 15, 2024, Bazrouk attended a protest concerning the Gaza war outside the New York Stock Exchange in Manhattan, New York City. Wearing a green headband typically worn by Hamas terrorists, he lunged at a group of pro-Israel protestors and was arrested by New York City Police Department officers.
As Bazrouk was being escorted to an NYPD vehicle, he kicked a Jewish college student in the stomach. The victim was standing near other Jewish protestors, who were singing Jewish songs while wearing kippahs and carrying Israeli flags.
On December 9, 2024, Bazrouk assaulted Jonathan Lederer, 22, who was singing Jewish songs during a protest relating to the Gaza war near Columbia University in Manhattan. With an Israeli flag draped around his shoulders, the victim, who is a student of the university, attended the protest with his brother and they were both wearing kippahs.
As the protest continued, Bazrouk allegedly struck Lederer with a closed fist and stole an Israeli flag from the victim’s brother. The victim’s ancestors were killed in the Holocaust.
On January 6, 2025, Bazrouk attended another protest concerning the Gaza war in Manhattan and assaulted another Jewish man, who was a hat with an Israeli flag, a chain with a Jewish star and an Israeli flag around his shoulders. The suspect, who was wearing a keffiyeh on his face, punched the victim in the nose with a closed fist during the protest.
On May 7, 2025, an indictment was unsealed in the Southern District of New York charging Bazrouk with three counts of committing hate crimes. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
CONAN Daily 