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In that case, Husary pleaded guilty to a charge of robbery with a hate crime enhancement after using force to intimidate a woman holding an Israeli flag.
Edited by: Fern Sidman
In a disturbing case highlighting the rise in anti-Semitic incidents across the United States, a California man has been charged with a hate crime and harassment after allegedly threatening a Jewish man on a New York City subway. As reported by CNN on Tuesday, 36-year-old Christopher Husary’s confrontation with the victim, who was visibly identifiable as Jewish by his yarmulke, occurred on June 10. The incident took place on a night marked by large protests outside an exhibition in Manhattan that commemorated the victims of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on an Israeli music festival.
According to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, Husary was on a New York City subway train when he allegedly vandalized a train door by drawing an anti-Semitic symbol—a red inverted triangle, known to have been used by Hamas to designate Israeli military targets. As CNN reported, the victim photographed the graffiti, prompting Husary to demand that the photo be deleted. Husary allegedly made anti-Semitic remarks, identifying the man as “a Zionist,” and issued a chilling warning: “We’ll find you and there will be consequences.”
Christopher Husary, Hayward jihadi wannabe is about to make some new friends in New York prisons
https://t.co/Lpa3C4PaIa— Anarcho-Zionist #JusticeforMalkiRoth (@AnarchoZionist) November 11, 2024
CNN’s coverage includes details from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which has been tracking anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. since 1979. The organization noted that incidents of anti-Semitism have surged dramatically since Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, with a 140% increase in reported cases between 2022 and 2023. This troubling rise calls attention to the growing tension and hostility Jewish communities in the United States are currently facing. According to data from the New York Police Department, of the 496 hate crime incidents recorded in New York City within the first nine months of 2024, 276 targeted Jewish individuals.
The confrontation in the subway marks only one of several troubling events linked to Husary, as the CNN report revealed. After the June subway incident, the victim reported the crime to the police on June 22, leading to a months-long investigation. Husary was ultimately arrested in Northern California following another incident, which involved intimidation during a demonstration concerning the Israel-Hamas conflict. In that case, Husary pleaded guilty to a charge of robbery with a hate crime enhancement after using force to intimidate a woman holding an Israeli flag. For this crime, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office sentenced Husary to 364 days in county jail and two years of probation; his sentence is set to begin on January 2.
Subway car domestic terrorist #ChristopherHusary, 37, who wore a mask and a Hezbollah t-shirt during the June incident where he demanded that all “Zionists” identify themselves, has finally been charged.
— Jeffrey Zimmerman (@Zimmlaw175) November 8, 2024
In a public statement covered by CNN, Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton emphasized the boundaries of free expression in cases of hate and intimidation. “Everyone has the right to express their beliefs under the First Amendment, and we deeply appreciate those who bravely stood up for their rights despite attempts by the defendant to silence them,” she said. Becton also clarified that while free speech is a fundamental right, it does not extend to acts of intimidation, threats, or violence.
As anti-Semitic incidents continue to surge across the country, the ADL, CNN reported, remains actively engaged in documenting and combating hate crimes. This incident highlights the complex and disturbing landscape that Jewish communities in the United States face amid heightened tensions, with acts of intimidation and violence further complicating efforts to uphold free speech and protect civil rights for all.
