A coalition of anti-Israel activist groups is rallying behind Tarek Bazrouk, a man who pleaded guilty to violently attacking Jewish individuals in New York City in 2024 and 2025. Despite Bazrouk’s admission of guilt to federal hate crime charges, groups including Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and the Palestinian Youth Movement are calling for his immediate release and portraying him as a victim of government repression. The campaign has drawn criticism for legitimizing antisemitic violence under the guise of political protest.
Bazrouk targeted three individuals in separate incidents because they were visibly Jewish or Israeli. He assaulted one person wearing a Star of David necklace, attacked another individual in an Israeli military shirt, and punched a third while shouting antisemitic slurs. All three attacks occurred during or shortly after pro-Palestinian demonstrations in New York.
Federal prosecutors charged Bazrouk with hate crimes, and he pleaded guilty in 2025. In response, activist groups labeled him a “political prisoner” and accused the U.S. government of criminalizing Palestinian advocacy. A statement released by SJP declared their “unwavering support” for Bazrouk and demanded his “immediate liberation.” Other organizations, including Within Our Lifetime, Pal-Awda, and Columbia University Apartheid Divest, have joined the campaign.
These groups deny that Bazrouk’s actions were antisemitic, framing his attacks as political resistance. Critics argue that the defense of a convicted violent offender by university-affiliated organizations reflects a broader trend of excusing bigotry when aligned with progressive or anti-Israel narratives. The public support for Bazrouk underscores growing concern that campus and activist groups are fostering environments where Jewish students and faculty feel unsafe.
