The US Department of Justice charged a New York man with federal hate crimes, accusing him of assaulting Jewish victims, including two Columbia University students, during three separate protests over Israel’s offensive in Gaza, Reuters reports.
The DOJ said that Tarek Bazrouk, 20, “deliberately targeted and assaulted Jewish victims at protests relating to the Israel/Gaza war.” Bazrouk was arrested on Wednesday morning.
Bazrouk is charged with three counts of committing hate crimes, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, according to the DOJ.