Suspected Times Square slasher allegedly motivated by hatred of U.S. support for Israel

The 19-year-old man accused of attacking New York City police officers with a machete near Times Square on New Year's Eve was an Islamist extremist motivated to carry out his attack because of the United States' support for Israel, prosecutors said.

Trevor Bickford, who was reportedly on the FBI terror watch list at the time of the incident, targeted U.S. authorities because "they cannot be proper Muslims because the United States government supports Israel," the Manhattan District Attorney’s office said Wednesday in court, The Washington Free Beacon reported.

Bickford is being held without bail after prosecutors charged him with three attempted first-degree murder counts and several other assault charges. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.

The suspect traveled from Maine to New York "to kill people and carry out jihad," prosecutors said. Bickford said he waited to carry out the stabbing attack on three New York officers when they were away from pedestrians, according to officials.

After his arrest, authorities discovered Bickford's diary where he described begging his family to "repent to Allah" and "accept Islam." He also reportedly expressed a desire to move to Afghanistan to join the ruling Taliban.