4 arrested after 2 antisemitic attacks outside Brooklyn synagogues

By David Ian Klein May 27, 2021

Four suspects have been arrested for allegedly attacking Jews and shouting antisemitic slurs outside two Brooklyn synagogues during the past week.

In Borough Park, three men reportedly leapt out of their car in front of a synagogue to harass and assault Jewish men attending Shabbat services.

They allegedly punched the victims and chased them with a baseball bat before banging on the synagogue’s door and vandalizing a nearby vehicle, according to NBC 4 New York.

According to Jewish New York Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein, the group shouted “Free Palestine — kill all the Jews.’”

Earlier today Orthodox Jews were harassed in front of this Shul on 16th Avenue by a group of males yelling “Free Palestine — kill all the Jews”.

We are hearing of multiple similar incidents that occurred over Shabbos. These perpetrators must be brought to justice. pic.twitter.com/gEkhKpTqpC

— Simcha Eichenstein (@SEichenstein) May 23, 2021

Daniel Shaukat, 20, Haider Anjam, 20 and Ashan Azad, 19, have all been arrested and charged with aggravated assault.

Later, on Monday, a 67-year-old Jewish man was punched outside of Sheepshead Bay’s Congregation Kerem Shlomo on Monday while his assailant shouted “(expletive) Jews! I’m going to (expletive) you up. I see you Jews are racist,” New York’s ABC 7 reported.

Hesham Ghonim, 20, has been arrested in connection with the attack and is being held on a $5,000 cash bail.

We received multiple calls for a suspect that was harassing and screaming hateful slurs at people in front of a Shul on Avenue S and then proceeded to assault one of the congregants. Our volunteers responded swiftly and he was ultimately arrested by @NYPD61Pct. #KeepingYouSafe pic.twitter.com/ogmSWlDs1F

— Flatbush Shomrim Safety Patrol (@FlatbushShomrim) May 25, 2021

The attacks come in the midst of a massive uptick in antisemitic incidents that followed the most recent Israel-Gaza conflict.

David Ian Klein covers breaking news and international Jewish communities for the Forward. You can reach him at Klein@forward.com and on Twitter @davidianklein.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO