A Jewish woman and her Catholic husband were reportedly attacked by an Arabic-speaking family at a 5th-grade graduation ceremony in Brooklyn, the New York Post reported last month.
The incident was alleged to have happened at PS 682 in Gravesend, at an event themed “All you need is love.”
The Arabic-speaking family had allegedly kickstarted the attack, Lana, the Jewish mother victim of the attack, told the Post.
NYC Jewish family pummeled at 5th-grade commencement by attendees shouting ‘Free Palestine,’ mom says https://t.co/HvcaDjSiDi pic.twitter.com/WuSCTIZBp0
— New York Post (@nypost) June 23, 2024
“We told them there was space for both families,” Lana said. “An older man turned to us and said ‘Free Palestine!’ for no reason. My husband told him this was not the time or place for that but the man cursed at him in Arabic, and shouted, “Free Palestine, Gaza is Ours, Death to Israel.”
The husband, Johan, was thrown to the ground by members of the Arabic-speaking family, he told the Post. He was then placed in a chokehold, restrained by the legs and kicked. His wife said that one woman even repeatedly hit him with her sharp stiletto heel.
The 16-year-old son of Johan and Lana tried to intervene in the attack but was punched in the face.
Lana was knocked to the ground and had her hair pulled by an attacker who shouted “I will kill you.” The attack was eventually ended by two male teachers.
“They targeted my family because we are Jewish,” Lana said, adding her 10-year-old twin daughters witnessed the attack. “A graduation event that was supposed to be joyous and memorable turned into a violent and traumatizing one.”
Officials comment on the attack
Tova Plaut, a city educator and advocate for Jewish peers, told the Post that the incident was one of the worst incidents of antisemitism to occur in a New York public school since October 7 - when Hamas invaded southern Israel and murdered over 1,200 people.
“We consistently warned that tolerating overtly antisemitic views would create a toxic environment for Jewish students and families, inevitably leading to physical violence,” Plaut said. “This has now occurred.”
Despite the Arabic family’s comments on the Israel-Hamas war, Lana said that the NYPD was refusing to classify the incident as a hate crime. However, the NYPD confirmed days later, after some coaxing, that the Hate Crimes Task Force would be investigating the incident.
The NYPD had reportedly shown reluctance to classify the attack as a hate crime as Lana was not visibly identifiable as Jewish, but she asserted that her Jewish identity was known at the school.
The Post reported that 26-year-old Ez-Al Dean Bazar had been arrested in relation to the attack on Johan, but he was released on his own recognizance.
Department of Education spokesman Nathaniel Styer told the Post, “Initial reports we have received from multiple witnesses indicate that both families engaged in aggressive behavior, but we are still investigating the matter and are simultaneously engaging with families as we work towards a resolution.”
He added “Graduations should be times of celebration and joy, and we strongly denounce anyone who acts in a violent or aggressive way during such events.”
Lana denied her family had acted aggressively, stating “My husband was trying to de-escalate the situation. The DOE is trying to sweep it under the rug to avoid further scrutiny of this heinous antisemitic act.”