On May 20, 2021, Joseph "Joey" Borgen, a 29-year old Jewish man, was assaulted and beaten in an antisemitic hate crime while heading to a pro-Israel rally in New York City. Borgen was wearing a

yarmulke A , , or , plural ), also called ''yarmulke'' (, ; yi, יאַרמלקע, link=no, , german: Jarmulke, pl, Jarmułka or ''koppel'' ( yi, קאפל ) is a brimless cap, usually made of cloth, traditionally worn by Jewish males to fulfill the ...

, a visible Jewish skullcap. Five pro-Palestinian activists were arrested and found guilty for the attack and received sentences of up to 7 years in prison. The attack took place during the

2021 Israel–Palestine crisis A major outbreak of violence in the ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict commenced on 10 May 2021, though disturbances took place earlier, and continued until a ceasefire came into effect on 21 May. It was marked by protests and police riot ...

and drew national attention amid a rise of antisemitic assaults in the United States during the crisis.

Background

From May 10 to 21, 2021, there was a major outbreak of violence in the

Israeli–Palestinian conflict The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is one of the world's most enduring conflicts, beginning in the mid-20th century. Various attempts have been made to resolve the conflict as part of the Israeli–Palestinian peace process, alongside other eff ...

, marked by

Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel Since 2001, Palestinian militants have launched thousands of rocket and mortar attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip as part of the continuing Arab–Israeli conflict. The attacks, widely condemned for targeting civilians, have been des ...

and Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. As the fighting intensified, synagogues were vandalized in Illinois, Arizona, California and Utah, and

Holocaust museums The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; aro ...

were defaced in Florida and Alaska.

Attack

On May 20, 2021,

Upper East Side The Upper East Side, sometimes abbreviated UES, is a neighborhood in the boroughs of New York City, borough of Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 96th Street (Manhattan), 96th Street to the north, the East River to the east, 59th Street (Man ...

resident Joseph "Joey" Borgen, a 29-year old Jewish man, was on his way to meet friends at a pro-Israel rally in

Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...

in New York City. He was wearing a ''

'', a visible Jewish skullcap. Borgen got off the New York City Subway a few blocks from where a pro-Palestine rally was taking place. Around 6:30 pm, Borgen was attacked by five men on Broadway near West 49th Street in the Diamond District, which is closely associated with New York City's Jewish community. According to Borgen, he was followed from 48th street, then "I was surrounded by a crowd...making anti-Jewish comments." According to Borgen and an investigation by the

New York Police Department The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...

(NYPD), the attackers called Borgen a "dirty Jew" and said "die Jew", and other antisemitic remarks. In addition, the attackers said "F--- Israel, we're going to kill you". During the attack, Borgen was punched, kicked, pepper-sprayed, and beat with crutches, according to the NYPD. He was hospitalized at

Bellevue Hospital Bellevue Hospital (officially NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue and formerly known as Bellevue Hospital Center) is a hospital in New York City and the oldest public hospital in the United States. One of the largest hospitals in the United States b ...

with a concussion and bruising.

Aftermath

ABC News ABC News is the journalism, news division of the American broadcast network American Broadcasting Company, ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other progra ...

'' reported the

Anti-Defamation League The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), formerly known as the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, is an international Jewish non-governmental organization based in the United States specializing in civil rights law. It was founded in late Septe ...

described the attack against Borgen as part of a wider pattern of violence against

American Jews American Jews or Jewish Americans are American citizens who are Jewish, whether by religion, ethnicity, culture, or nationality. Today the Jewish community in the United States consists primarily of Ashkenazi Jews, who descend from diaspora J ...

during the

. During the 11-day crisis, antisemitic incidents in the U.S. increased 115% compared to the same time period in 2020, according to the

. The beating and subsequent prosecutions drew national attention. Borgen was one of several Jewish people attacked across the United States as violence flared during the crisis in the Middle East. Borgen was invited to the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington, D.C., NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. preside ...

as part of a group hoping to call attention to rising extremism. A Jewish security group attributed a deterrent effect to the prosecution of Borgen's attackers and effective controlling of protests by police as the reason for fewer antisemitic attacks during the

2023 Israel-Hamas war 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many socie ...

Legal

The court battles in the years following the attack led to criticism from activists that Manhattan District Attorney

Alvin Bragg Alvin Leonard Bragg Jr. (born October 21, 1973) is an American politician and lawyer from the state of New York who is serving as the New York County District Attorney. In 2021, he became the first African-American and first person of color elect ...

was too slow to prosecute the attacks and that his office was lenient on the attackers. Borgen's father Barry testified at an April 2023 hearing of the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together the ...

House Judiciary Committee about violent crime in Manhattan. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office under Albin Bragg charged and received guilty verdicts for 5 men in relation to the attack: * Waseem Awawdeh. 23-year-old Awawdeh was arrested a few blocks away on the same day of the attack, still holding the crutch. He was initially released on bail. In custody, Awawdeh noted that "I would do it again." In January 2023, Bragg's office offered Awawdeh a plea deal of six months in jail and five years probation. Jewish groups and local officials such as Nassau County Executive

Bruce Blakeman Bruce Arthur Blakeman (born October 2, 1955) is an American attorney and politician currently serving as the 10th County Executive of Nassau County, New York. He was elected in the 2021 election, defeating Democratic incumbent Laura Curran. He p ...

criticized the deal's leniency and called for its retraction. On April 26, 2023, Awawdeh pled guilty to second-degree attempted assault as a hate crime and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was sentenced to 18 months in jail, including 12 months for the attempted assault charge, and six months for the criminal possession charge. In addition, Awawdeh was required to make a public apology. * Faisal Elezzi. On April 24, 2023, Elezzi pled guilty to third-degree attempted assault as a hate crime. He was sentenced to 3 years of probation and was required to complete anti-bias programming and make a public apology. * Mahmoud Musa. Musa, from

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...

, pled guilty to one count of second-degree assault as a hate crime. On November 22, 2023, he was sentenced to 7 years in prison. Borgen dismissed Musa's apology as disingenuous, saying "If you're going to go attack me in the street because I'm wearing a yarmulke, shout antisemitic slurs at me, and then after the fact celebrate what you did, I don't think you're remorseful." In a statement after the sentencing, Bragg said, "Today Mahmoud Musa was held accountable for his role in repeatedly assaulting a Jewish man." * Mohammed Othman. In October 2023, Othman pled guilty to second-degree assault as a hate crime. In December 2023, Othman was sentenced to five and a half years in prison and five years of post-release supervision for pepper spraying and assaulting Borgen. * Mohammed Said Othman. In October 2023, Othman agreed to a plea deal of attempted gang assault and a sentence of 3 years in prison.

Reactions

The attack was condemned by local and national figures. Mayor of New York City

Bill de Blasio Bill de Blasio (; born Warren Wilhelm Jr., May 8, 1961; later Warren de Blasio-Wilhelm) is an American politician who served as the 109th mayor of New York City from 2014 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he held the office of New Yor ...

said, "It's absolutely disgusting and unacceptable. We have had a man viciously beaten simply because he appeared to some individuals to be Jewish. We had folks throwing very potent fireworks and creating harm to others and burning some folk, at least one person. This is unacceptable." "What happened last night is absolutely unacceptable. There is no place for anti-Semitism in New York City. We will not tolerate it. My message is very clear. Anyone who commits such an act is going to be arrested and prosecuted." The day after the attack, De Blasio and other New York City leaders and police officials met with Jewish community leaders at

New York City Hall New York City Hall is the seat of New York City government, located at the center of City Hall Park in the Civic Center area of Lower Manhattan, between Broadway, Park Row, and Chambers Street. Constructed from 1803 to 1812, the building is ...

. New York governor

Andrew Cuomo Andrew Mark Cuomo ( ; ; born December 6, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to the same position that his father, Mario Cu ...

directed the

New York State Police The New York State Police (NYSP) is the state police of the state of New York in the United States. It is part of the New York State Executive Department, and employs over 5,000 sworn state troopers and 711 civilian members. History The Sta ...

Hate Crimes Task Force to assist the NYPD with the investigation. The

also condemned the attack, saying "violence is absolutely unacceptable."In the wake of the surge of antisemitic violence, 51 Holocaust survivors who volunteered at the

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) is the United States' official memorial to the Holocaust. Adjacent to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the USHMM provides for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust hi ...

issued a statement. President Joe Biden acknowledged the antisemitism surge, vowing in a May 28 statement that the

U.S. Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United State ...

"will be deploying all of the tools at its disposal to combat hate crimes."

References