The US Department of Justice has charged an anti-Israel activist who assaulted a Jewish man in April with a hate crime, the victim's lawyer confirmed to The Jerusalem Post.
Matt Greenman was attacked on April 20 at a New York City anti-Israel rally that he was counter-protesting, he previously told The Post. Greenman was wearing an Israeli flag as a cape.
The suspect, Saadah Masoud, allegedly threw Greenman to the ground and punched and kicked him in the face while he lay there.
"Jew-hatred has consequences, and we applaud the government for standing up for the civil rights of the Jewish people."
Gerard Filitti
A serious crime
"The Department of Justice does not undertake hate crime prosecutions lightly," said Greenman's lawyer, Gerard Filitti. "It steps in where a crime is so heinous that it offends the conscience of our society. By taking on the prosecution of Masoud, the federal government is sending the clear and unequivocal message that attacking Jews, for no other reason than being Jewish or holding an Israeli flag, has serious consequences.
"I went to the emergency room, was told I have a mild concussion, possible fracture above the eye but the swelling was too much to see through with the CAT scan to confirm," Greenman previously told The Post of his injuries. "Something was uneven though, which is a sign of potential fracture. My face is all banged up. I've got scrapes on my elbow, knees, neck, and a bruise on my arm, along with the face and head trauma."
According to the New York Post, the criminal complaint against Masoud alleges that he had participated in two other attacks on Jews last year.
Masoud allegedly hit a Jewish community leader in Brooklyn twice in the head and body last June, warning him “We know where you live, we will get you,” the NY Post reported. Last July, Masoud allegedly struck a man in the face and stole his Israeli flag.
Anti-Israel rhetoric
The rally, organized by Within Our Lifetime (WOL) as criticized in advance to the event due to radical rhetoric in support of "Palestinian resistance," calling for resistance by "any means necessary." Previous events organized by WOL called for "globalizing the Intifada."
According to Greenman, the radical rhetoric of the Wednesday NYC rally wasn't limited to advertisements and posters.
"The thing that stood out to me the most was how they would chant 'We don't want 2 states, we want '48!'" Greenman told The Post in April.
"Jew-hatred has consequences, and we applaud the government for standing up for the civil rights of the Jewish people," Filitti said on Thursday.
"I’m very grateful that this case is being treated with the seriousness that it deserves and I’m hopeful that justice will be served," Greeman said of the news of the charges.