Prosecutors in New York City charged a man Tuesday with hate crimes over an antisemitic attack in Times Square that targeted an Israeli tourist.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said Yehia Amin, 28, was charged with stalking and assault as hate crimes in the Oct. 18 incident that ended with the Jewish tourist being punched in the back of the head.
Court documents said the victim was among a group of men wearing kippahs and walking through Times Square around 9:30 p.m. when Mr. Amin began harassing them.
Prosecutors said Mr. Amin made remarks such as “Hamas should kill more of you,” “may Allah kill you,” “may Allah kill all the Jews” and “all Jews should die” while following the group and playing what Mr. Amin described later as Hamas music to intimidate the men.
The group tried to get help from a nearby security guard, then went into the subway to leave the area, but Mr. Amin continued to follow them, according to court documents.
Prosecutors said Mr. Amin made additional antisemitic remarks at this time, such as “all Jews are crybabies,” “I want to die for Gaza,” “I want to kill you” and “I want to kill you for Gaza.” He then ran up behind the victim and punched him in the back of the head.
Court documents said Mr. Amin fled the area afterward but was chased down by the group of men and a police officer who arrested the suspect. Prosecutors said Mr. Amin yelled more antisemitic statements while being taken into custody, such as “I will die for Gaza,” “f— Israel,” “God kill all the Israelis” and “God kill all the Jewish people.”
“As alleged, Yehia Amin taunted and punched a tourist after stalking his friends and going on a vile antisemitic tirade that spanned several minutes,” Mr. Bragg said in a statement. “Violence stemming from hate and discrimination will not be tolerated in Manhattan. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to hold those that cause harm accountable to ensure Manhattan is a safe place for everyone.”
Mr. Amin pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Tuesday, according to online court records.
He had his cash bail set at $40,000. The defendant is due back in court on Feb. 27.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.