From May 1, 2021, Anti-Jewish attacks have increased by about 438%. That number is completely unacceptable. The FBI found that 60.2% of all the victims of anti-religious hate crime, were Jewish.[1] This statistic is further exasperated when taking into account the miniscule Jewish population in the United States, sitting at approximately 7 million Jews, only a million more from the number of Jews that were slaughtered in the Holocaust. The Jewish community has had enough, New York residents had enough. My family and I escaped the Syrian persecution of Jews, and we were lucky enough to be taken in as refugees in this Country. I became an attorney and have fought for the rights of minorities and others along my journey. This time it has come full circle and I am being forced, due to the current climate, to write to the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, to demand justice and to say never again.

            For never again to take hold, our government needs to act. In Syria, Jews were assaulted and the criminals that carried out the assault would face absolutely no repercussions. Which only encouraged further violence against the Jewish community. What is frightening me and my community, is that it seems to be true here, in the U.S. and in NYC. Throughout the summer, we experienced a surge in anti-Jewish crime, the criminals are often arrested released the next day and go on to their next victim. This is happening here, with Waseem Awawdeh as well.

          18 US Code §249, gives the Federal government the Jurisdiction to prosecute Hate crimes. The statute reads as follows: “a) (1) Offenses involving actual or perceived race, color, religion, or national origin --- Whoever, whether or not acting under the color of law, willfully causes bodily injury to any person or, through the use of fire, a firearm, a dangerous weapon, or an explosive or incendiary device, attempts to cause bodily injury to any person, because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, or national origin of any person……(A) Shall be imprisoned not more than 10 years, fined in accordance with this title, or both….”.  Waseem and his co-conspirators in a gang attack, attacked Joseph Borgen because he was Jewish, as admitted by him. He feels no shame or regret for his action, as exhibited by his “hero” welcome celebration out of Jail. He used a deadly weapon in the attack namely a crutch, and severely injured Joseph Borgen because of his religious beliefs.

        The federal government has flexed this muscle and utilized this act prosecute crime, plenty of times before. My community, my peers, and I, are imploring the Federal Government to pick up this case, and to prosecute Waseem Awawdeh, Faisal Elezzi, and their fellow co-conspirators. We need your office to send a strong message to the community that Anti-Jewish crime will not be tolerated and that the Federal government will prosecute these criminals to the fullest extend of the laws. The Hate Crime Acts was enacted for this purpose. We are now pleading with you to utilize the tools legislators gave you and to prosecute and deter these anti-Jewish violent crimes.