A tense scene unfolded in a Manhattan courthouse as Palestinian-American Mahmoud Musa, convicted of participating in a hate crime against a Jewish man, Joseph Borgen, during a Times Square protest, was sentenced to seven years in prison. Musa’s supporters, who came to the sentencing, were tossed from the courtroom after they vocally protested the judge’s decision.

In 2021, Musa was part of a group that targeted Borgen, who was on his way to a pro-Israel rally, solely because he was wearing a yarmulke. The assault, described by prosecutors as a premeditated attack on Jewish people, left Borgen severely injured. “I felt a liquid being poured on my face… I was getting maced and pepper sprayed,” Borgen recounted to the New York Post after the attack. “My face was on fire. That pain was worse than the concussion and all this other stuff that followed.”

The attack, captured on video, showed Borgen’s assailants using antisemitic slurs and leaving him with a concussion and a need for a neck brace. Borgen, during his victim impact statement, expressed that he might have died if not for police intervention.

In the courtroom, Borgen’s supporters sat quietly, their attire calling for justice and denouncing antisemitism. However, the atmosphere shifted when Musa’s supporters arrived, approximately 30 minutes into the hearing.

Judge Felicia Mennin’s decision to sentence Musa to seven years prompted an outcry from his supporters, who labeled the sentence “unfair” and accused the judge of racism. Their disruptive behavior led to their removal from the courthouse by court officers.

After the courtroom was cleared, Borgen spoke to reporters outside. Despite expressing relief at the conclusion of the case and satisfaction with the sentence, he conveyed ongoing concerns about antisemitic violence, especially in the context of recent tensions between Israel and Hamas.

“I’m relieved it’s over, I think we got a strong prison sentence and I think it sends a clear message that Jewish blood, for that matter hate crimes in all senses of the word, are not going to be treated lightly in New York City,” Borgen stated.

Besides for Musa, two other suspects involved in the beating have received shorter sentences, while two more await sentencing.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)