Waseem Awawdeh is charged in the brutal gang beating of Joseph Borgen, as the group shouted antisemitic taunts.
It was one of many attacks in New York by “pro-Palestinian” groups, as we covered in VIDEOS: “Pro-Palestinian” Gangs Attack Jews In Multiple Locations in Manhattan
According to news reports, Awawdeh vowed that he would do it again if he could:
“If I could do it again, I would do it again,” he told one of his jailers, according to a prosecutor at Awawdeh’s Saturday arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court. “I have no problem doing it again.”The attack was unprovoked, said prosecutors, who told Judge Kathryn Paek that Borgen was walking near Broadway and West 49th Street when Awawdeh “jumped him and attacked him.”Awawdeh, who has at least one open case in Brooklyn for allegedly speeding and running a red light in March, was charged with assault as a hate crime, gang assault, menacing, aggravated harassment as a hate crime and criminal possession of a weapon, police said.The Midtown attack was a hate crime, the Manhattan assistant district attorney told Paek, adding Awawdeh called Borgen a “dirty Jew” and said, “F–k Israel, Hamas is going to kill all of you.”Awawdeh is enrolled in college and isn’t a flight risk, said his attorney, April White-Small of New York County Defenders. Awawdeh did not enter a plea.Friends of Awawdeh’s who refused to give their names claimed Awawdeh was attacked first.
Numerous “pro-Palestinian” groups are raising money for his defense:
A New York-based coalition of Palestinian organizations that advocates the elimination of Israel as an independent Jewish state has raised nearly $20,000 to fund legal expenses for Palestinian protestors who participated in antisemitic demonstrations in midtown Manhattan last week that descended into violence against Jews.On Monday, the “Palestine Freedom Fund” — which describes itself as supporting the “movement for justice, return and liberation” — had raised almost all of its $20,000 goal through an online crowdfunding campaign.
Awawdeh was released on $10,000 bail, and was given a hero’s welcome, lifted on the shoulders of supporters:
There has been a second arrest in the case:
Faisal Elezzi, 25, of Staten Island, is charged with assault as a hate crime, menacing as a hate crime and aggravated harassment as a hate crime, the New York City Police Department said.Elezzi is one of five men suspected of assaulting Joseph Borgen, 29, while making antisemitic statements during rival pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian protests in Midtown on Thursday, according to the NYPD.Borgen, who was wearing a yarmulke, was knocked to the ground, punched, kicked, pepper-sprayed and hit with crutches during the assault, which was caught on bystander video.He told NBC New York that he hadn’t even made it to the protest when he was attacked. He had only just exited a subway station.”They proceeded to assault me, beat me, kick me, punch me hit me with crutches, hit me with flag poles,” Borgen said.
There are several other suspects sought:
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