According to NYC Assembly Member Simcha Eichenstein, Orthodox Jews were harassed in front of the Agudath Israel of Sixteenth Avenue Shul on 16th Avenue in Borough Park on Shabbat afternoon, by a group of men who were yelling “[expletive] the Jews,” “Kill the Jews,” and “Free Palestine.” Eichenstein reported hearing of multiple, similar incidents over Shabbat.
Earlier today Orthodox Jews were harassed in front of this Shul on 16th Avenue by a group of males yelling “Free Palestine – kill all the Jews”.
We are hearing of multiple similar incidents that occurred over Shabbos. These perpetrators must be brought to justice. pic.twitter.com/gEkhKpTqpC
— Simcha Eichenstein (@SEichenstein)
When the men were locked out of the shul, they tore off the side mirror of a parked car. They then drove their car on 16th Av. and stopped to chase after three young Orthodox Jews who were walking on the sidewalk.
These 2 suspects went around chasing and harassing people on 16th Avenue and also vandalized a vehicle. If you have any info, please call Detectives 718-851-5603 and the hotline 718-871-6666. pic.twitter.com/Bs3oUuPbsb
— ???? ???? ??????? (@BPShomrim)
Later on Saturday night, Former Assemblyman Dov Hikind reported about two Jewish teens who had been surrounded by an angry mob with baseball bats on Ocean Pkwy and 18th Ave that demanded they chant “free Palestine” before beating them up. The two were saved by a Muslim Uber driver who drove them to safety.
Meanwhile, Waseem Awawdeh, 23, who last Thursday jumped Joseph Borgen, 29, an Upper East Side Orthodox Jewish accountant, on west 49th Street in Manhattan, told officers he would do it again. Awawdeh was charged with assault as a hate crime, gang assault, menacing, aggravated harassment as a hate crime, and criminal possession of a weapon. He is held on $10,000 bail.
'I would do it again': Suspect accused of pummeling NYC Jewish man shows no remorse https://t.co/pukJwY4xRe pic.twitter.com/dKL4vULHak
— New York Post Metro (@nypmetro)
The victim suffered a concussion and complained of a painfully strained wrist as a result of the attack. “I have bruises all over my body. I have a black eye. My face is banged up. I’m just sore all over my body. They were kicking me in my ribs, my stomach,” he told the NY Post.
“I felt a liquid being poured on my face, and at first I thought I was getting urinated on,” Borgen recalled, “But it turned out I was getting Maced and pepper-sprayed. My face was on fire. That pain was worse than the concussion and all this other stuff that followed.”
Hikind tweeted his outrage on Friday, that while Jews are being viciously attacked in NYC, you don’t hear condemnations from the people you’d expect to be in the forefront against anti-Semitism, such as Mayor Bill de Blasio, Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Jewish lawmakers such as Senator Chuck Schumer and Rep Jerry Nadler.
“Anyone know what rock these cowards are hiding under?” Hikind wondered, noting that “this failure of humanity on display is made possible by their failures of ‘leadership.’”
Last Friday, in a meeting at the Misaskim non-profit in Borough Park with top police officials, the latter promised an increased police presence in the neighborhood on Shabbat.
Police Promise Full Presence around this , after Meeting with Leaders at Headquartershttps://t.co/y2C6nYShQ6 pic.twitter.com/Elz6phK7g5
— Boro Park 24 News (@BoroPark24)
