NYC man sentenced in antisemitic beating as rowdy supporters ejected from court

Jeering supporters of Palestinian-American Mahmoud Musa were ejected from the courtroom on Wednesday after the judge ordered he spend 7 years in prison in connection with a 2021 beating of a Jewish man.

Musa, 23, was convicted for his role in the beating of Joseph Borgen on his way to a pro-Israel protest in Times Square. The incident saw Borgen, who was wearing a yarmulke, come under attack from Musa and several others who pepper sprayed and beat him while shouting antisemitic slurs.

Despite his defense seeking three and a half years in prison and prosecutors only asking six, Judge Felicia Mennin ordered that Musa serve a seven-year stint in prison, Fox News reported.  While exiting the courtroom, Musa twice shouted "Free Palestine!" prompting outcry from the crowd, some of whom called the judge a "racist," according to the New York Post. The resulting tumult saw officials escorting the attendees out. It reportedly took 20 minutes to clear the courthouse.

Borgen applauded the decision for showing the city would not be lenient on antisemitism, saying "I'm relieved it's over, I think we got a strong prison sentence and I think it sends a clear message that Jewish blood, for that matter hate crimes in all senses of the word, are not going to be treated lightly in New York City."

Musa's sentencing comes amid an ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza that has witnessed numerous pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the United States and raised concerns about the prevalence of antisemitic sentiment in the country.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.