The NYPD tweeted on Tuesday evening that Hate Crime Task Force Detectives, assisted by Brooklyn South Warrants, arrested the individual wanted for an anti-Jewish assault on Dec. 26, at 10:45 AM, on a Jewish man, 21, wearing an IDF hoodie, who was waiting with a Jewish friend for a store in Bay Ridge to open (Antisemites Attack Two Jews in Brooklyn for Wearing ‘IDF’ Hoodie).
The detained man, Othman Suleiman, 27, of Staten Island, is accused of making anti-Jewish statements and punching his victim in the face multiple times before fleeing on foot on 86th St toward 4th Ave in Brooklyn.
Suleiman is charged with 3rd degree Assault with a Hate Crime charge added, and Aggravated Harassment, also with a Hate Crime charge added.
According to NYPD sources cited by the NY Post, Othman has seven prior arrests for menacing, assault, robbery, and endangering the welfare of a child, starting in 2010. His most recent arrest was in July 2020. However, this is his first hate crime. He was picked up based on a facial recognition program.
This kind of completes a circle: the NYPD has been reputed to be using the Israeli tech company NSO’s surveillance and facial recognition program Pegasus, initially developed for the IDF. Now the same program has helped capture an Arab antisemite who punched a Jewish man for wearing an IDF hoodie. How cool is that?
Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, who took up the case of the attacked Jewish men, tweeted a statement together with her political mentor, former State Assemblyman Dov Hikind, over Suleiman’s surprisingly low bails: “The cost of beating a Jew in New York City? $1,000 bail, according to the judge that allowed this suspect to walk free tonight. I am disgusted at the outcome of this arraignment, and that the young victims had to witness their pain be dismissed.”
The cost of beating a Jew in New York City? $1,000 bail, according to the judge that allowed this suspect to walk free tonight.
I am disgusted at the outcome of this arraignment, and that the young victims had to witness their pain be dismissed.
My statement, with ⬇️ https://t.co/LHUPTlTzJ5 pic.twitter.com/5S4wBCADVq
— Councilwoman Inna Vernikov (@InnaVernikov)