Hate Crime Charges for New Yorker Accused of Stalking Israeli Man, Yelling ‘Hamas Should Kill More of You’

Manhattan's District Attorney announced the indictment of a New Yorker on Tuesday who allegedly told an Israeli tourist in Times Square "Hamas should kill more of you."

Yehia Amin, 28, is accused of stalking and punching the 23-year-old victim as he and his friends walked through the tourist hotspot on Oct. 18.

The victim and his friends were all wearing kippahs, the D.A. said, and as they walked up 7th Ave., they passed by Amin, who is from nearby Queens. He started following the group and began playing music through his bluetooth speaker which he later described as "Hamas music."

“Hamas should kill more of you,” he told the group, with other comments along the lines of “May Allah kill you,” “May Allah kill all the Jews,” and “All Jews should die.”

The group tried to report Amin to a security guard, but he continued to follow them as they headed into a train station in an attempt to leave the area. After following them for around ten minutes, Amin ran up behind the victim and punched him in the back of the head.

The man was left with redness, swelling and substantial pain.

Amin fled the scene, with the victim and his friends following, along with a police officer, who managed to catch up and arrest the suspect.

Even under arrest, Amin continued to shout statements including “I will die for Gaza."

“As alleged, Yehia Amin taunted and punched a tourist after stalking his friends and going on a vile antisemitic tirade that spanned several minutes,” District Attorney Bragg said in a press release.

“Violence stemming from hate and discrimination will not be tolerated in Manhattan. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to hold those that cause harm accountable to ensure Manhattan is a safe place for everyone.”

Amin is facing four charges, including stalking in the first degree and assault in the first degree, both as hate crimes, as well as stalking and assault in the third degree and aggravated harassment in the second degree.

There has been a rise in reports of antisemitic attacks across the United States, particularly following Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7, as well as a spike in islamophobic incidents.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced a strategy to tackle the issue in her state, while Senator Chuck Schumer has urged all Americans to condemn antisemitism.