Man Sentenced to 90 Days for Hate Crime Against Israelis in Times Square

A man who attacked an Israeli tourist in New York City's Times Square and shouted antisemitic slurs has been sentenced to 90 days in jail and five years of probation. Yahya Amin, 28 at the time of the attack, pleaded guilty in March to a hate crime assault. The sentencing occurred Tuesday in Manhattan Supreme Court.

The incident took place on October 18, 2023, eleven days after the Hamas attack on Israel. According to the Manhattan District Attorney's office, the victim, a 23-year-old Israeli tourist, was walking with four friends, all wearing kippahs, when Amin began following them. Amin trailed the group for over ten minutes, playing music he described as "Hamas music" on a Bluetooth speaker and shouting antisemitic and anti-Israel slogans, including "Hamas should kill more of you" and "all Jews should die," stating he wanted to kill them "because of Gaza."

When the Israelis attempted to seek help from a security guard and move towards a subway station, Amin continued to follow. The indictment states Amin then ran up behind the 23-year-old victim and struck him on the back of the head, causing redness, swelling, and pain. Amin fled but was pursued by the victim and his friends, and apprehended by a police officer who joined the chase. Prosecutors reported that Amin continued to make anti-Israel and anti-Jewish statements even after his arrest.

Amin's guilty plea occurred on March 23 of this year. The sentence of 90 days in jail, along with five years of probation, was handed down nearly three years after the attack. During the sentencing, Amin reportedly smiled and made a "V" sign towards photographers, responding to the judge's question about his smiling by saying through an interpreter that he wanted to "look good for the cameras."