Attack on Joseph Borgen
On May 20, 2021, Joseph "Joey" Borgen, a 29-year old Jewish man, was assaulted and beaten in an antisemitic hate crime while heading to a pro-Israel rally in New York City. Borgen was wearing a yarmulke, a visible Jewish skullcap. Five pro-Palestinian[1][2][3][4] activists were arrested and found guilty for the attack and received sentences of up to 7 years in prison.
The attack took place during the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis and drew national attention amid a rise of antisemitic assaults in the United States during the crisis.
Background
From May 10 to May 21, 2021, there was a major outbreak of violence in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, marked by Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel and Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. As the fighting intensified, synagogues were vandalized in Illinois, Arizona, California and Utah, and Holocaust museums were defaced in Florida and Alaska.[5]
Attack
On May 20, 2021, Upper East Side resident Joseph "Joey" Borgen, a 29-year old Jewish man, was on his way to meet friends at a pro-Israel rally in Times Square in New York City. He was wearing a yarmulke, a visible Jewish skullcap.[2][5] Borgen got off the New York City subway a few blocks from where a pro-Palestine rally was taking place.[2] Around 6:30pm, Borgen was attacked by five men on Broadway near West 49th Street in the Diamond District, which is closed associated with New York City's Jewish community.[6] According to Borgen, he was followed from 48th street, then "I was surrounded by a crowd...making anti-Jewish comments." According to Borgen and an investigation by the New York Police Department (NYPD), the attackers called Borgen a "dirty Jew" and said "die Jew", and other antisemitic remarks. In addition, the attackers said "F--- Israel, we're going to kill you".[2][5][7]
During the attack, Borgen was punched, kicked, pepper-sprayed, and beat with crutches, according to the NYPD. He was hospitalized at Bellevue Hospital with a concussion and bruising.[5][2]
Aftermath
The beating and subsequent prosecutions drew national attention. Borgen was invited to the White House as part of a group hoping to call attention to rising extremism.[2]
Legal
The court battles in the years following the attack led to criticism from activists that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg was too slow to prosecute the attacks and that his office was lenient on the attackers. Borgen's father Barry testified at an April 2023 hearing of the U.S. House of Representatives House Judiciary Committee about violent crime in Manhattan.[8][2]
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office under Albin Bragg charged and received guilty verdicts for 5 men in relation to the attack:
- Waseem Awawdeh. 23-year-old Awawdeh was arrested a few blocks away on the same day of the attack, still holding the crutch. He was initially released on bail. In custody, Awawdeh noted that "I would do it again."[2] In January 2023, Bragg's office offered Awawdeh a plea deal of six months in jail and five years probation. Jewish groups and local officials such as Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman criticized the deal's leniency and called for its retraction.[9][10] On April 26, 2023, Awawdeh pled guilty to second-degree attempted assault as a hate crime and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was sentenced to 18 months in jail, including 12 months for the attempted assault charge, and six months for the criminal possession charge. In addition, Awawdeh was required to make a public apology.[8]
- Faisal Elezzi. On April 24, 2023, Elezzi pled guilty to third-degree attempted assault as a hate crime. He was sentenced to 3 years of probation and was required to complete anti-bias programming and make a public apology.[8]
- Mahmoud Musa. Musa, from Staten Island, pled guilty to one count of second-degree assault as a hate crime. On November 22, 2023, he was sentenced to 7 years in prison. Borgen dismissed Musa's apology as disingenuous, saying "If you’re going to go attack me in the street because I’m wearing a yarmulke, shout antisemitic slurs at me, and then after the fact celebrate what you did, I don’t think you’re remorseful." In a statement after the sentencing, Bragg said, "Today Mahmoud Musa was held accountable for his role in repeatedly assaulting a Jewish man."[11]
- Mohammed Othman. In October 2023, Othman pled guilty to second-degree assault as a hate crime.[12]
- Mohammed Said Othman. In October 2023, Othman agreed to a plea deal of attempted gang assault and a sentence of 3 years in prison.[12]
Reactions
The attack was condemned by local and national figures. Mayor of New York City Bill de Blasio said, "It's absolutely disgusting and unacceptable. We have had a man viciously beaten simply because he appeared to some individuals to be Jewish. We had folks throwing very potent fireworks and creating harm to others and burning some folk, at least one person. This is unacceptable." "What happened last night is absolutely unacceptable. There is no place for anti-Semitism in New York City. We will not tolerate it. My message is very clear. Anyone who commits such an act is going to be arrested and prosecuted."[6] The day after the attack, De Blasio and other New York City leaders and police officials met with Jewish community leaders at New York City Hall.[7][13]
Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo directed the New York State Police Hate Crimes Task Force to assist the NYPD with the investigation.[7] The Anti-Defamation League also condemned the attack, saying "violence is absolutely unacceptable."[7]In the wake of the surge of antisemitic violence, 51 Holocaust survivors who volunteered at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum issued a statement. President Joe Biden acknowledged the antisemitism surge, vowing in a May 28 statement that the U.S. Department of Justice "will be deploying all of the tools at its disposal to combat hate crimes."[5]
See also
References
- ^ Cohen, Haley (2021-05-25). "Violence against Jews after Israel-Gaza war reaches alarming heights". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Brenner, Marie (2023-06-22). "Amid a Wave of Antisemitic Hate Crimes, a New York Unit Offers a Model of Resistance". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ Tress, Luke (2023-06-14). "Pro-Palestinian activist sentenced to 18 months for attack on Jewish man in New York". Times of Israel. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ Kahana, Ariel (2021-06-22). "'The golden age of American Jewry is over'". Israel Hayom. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Shapiro, Emily (2021-06-10). "Antisemitism surged across US during Gaza conflict, part of multi-year rise: Advocates". ABC News. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
- ^ a b "Arrests in Times Square melee over Israel; Jewish man beaten". Associated Press. 2021-05-21. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Joseph Borgen, Brutally Beaten By Group Of Suspects In Manhattan's Diamond District, Speaks Out: 'My Whole Face Felt Like It Was On Fire For Hours'". CBS News. 2021-05-24. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
- ^ a b c Henry, Jacob (2023-04-26). "2 of Joey Borgen's attackers plead guilty on hate crime charges for 2021 beating". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ "Nassau County leaders, advocates denounce plea deal offered to suspect in antisemitic attack". CBS News. 2023-01-19. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
- ^ "#EndJewHatred celebrates successful rally outside New York Supreme Court". Jewish News Syndicate. 2023-01-27. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Musaplea
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b "Guilty pleas: Attackers of Jewish man in New York face years behind bars". Jewish News Syndicate. 2023-10-02. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
CNN
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).