A Queens man was indicted on hate crime charges for allegedly stalking, harassing and punching an Israeli tourist in Times Square while ranting that “Hamas should kill more [Jews],” Manhattan prosecutors said Tuesday.
Yehia Amin, 28, was hit with a slew of charges over the vile Oct. 18 incident in which prosecutors said he targeted the Jewish tourist and his four male friends, who were all wearing yarmulkes, at the Crossroads of the World.
Amin allegedly “recognized they were Jewish and began following them” for several blocks around 9:30 p.m. that night, while using a Bluetooth speaker to play what he later described as “Hamas music,” the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
He then berated them with antisemitic and anti-Israel comments, including “Hamas should kill more of you” – presumably about the terror group’s Oct. 7 surprise attack on southern Israel, which killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, according to prosecutors.
The victims tried to report Amin’s behavior to a security guard of West 47th Street, but the suspect persisted in harassing them while they walked to a subway station, the DA’s Office said.
For over 10 minutes, Amin allegedly continued his hateful diatribe, telling the group “I want to kill you for Gaza” and “all Jews are crybabies.”
The suspect then suddenly “sprinted up behind the victim and punched him in the back of the head,” causing “redness, swelling and substantial pain,” the DA’s Office said.
While Amin allegedly tried to run away after the assault, the victim, his friends and a police officer chased after him, with the cop eventually arresting him, prosecutors said.
While under arrest, Amin allegedly continued to yell out “F–k Israel” and “God kills all the Israelis,” the DA’s office said.
“As alleged, Yehia Amin taunted and punched a tourist after stalking his friends and going on a vile antisemitic tirade that spanned several minutes,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement.
“Violence stemming from hate and discrimination will not be tolerated in Manhattan,” he added. “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.”
Amin was hit with an indictment charging him with two counts of first-degree stalking as a hate crime, two counts each of third-degree assault as a hate crime, third-degree stalking as a hate crime and one count of second-degree aggravated harassment.
He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Manhattan Supreme Court on Tuesday, online records show.
Justice Althea E.M. Drysdale set his bail at $40,000 cash or $100,00 insured bond, the records show.
Amin is due back in court on Feb. 27, 2024.
The charges come amid a troubling spate of antisemitic incidents in the wake of Hamas’ sudden attack and Israel’s retaliatory assault on the Gaza Strip.
Just a couple days after Amin allegedly punched the Israeli tourist, hateful vandals spray painted “Kill the Jews” on the wall of a Manhattan subway station.
