2 Women Indicted for Hate Crimes after Attacking a Jewish Woman on UWS over Posters

Two women who attacked a Jewish woman on the UWS who had confronted them for tearing down fliers of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, were indicted on hate crime charges.

After being confronted by the 41-year-old Jewish woman, Mehwish Omer, 26, and Stephanie Gonzalez, 25, began to physically assault the victim, knocking her cell phone to the ground, striking her, scratching her face and pulling her hair.

Gonzalez, who was arrested on Nov. 20 was also hit for robbery charges for ripping off a Star of David necklace the victim was wearing at the time of the attack. Omer turned herself in on Nov. 27. Prosecutors said the attack caused the victim to suffer minor injuries including popped blood vessels in her eye.

The victim saw the two woman tearing down fliers of hostages held by Hamas from a light pole on Nov. 9th. at the corner of Riverside Drive and W. 82nd St. around 9 p.m.

The victim started recording the incident which quickly turned confrontational, prosecutors said.

“They are not victims, they are A.I generated. I love Palestine,” said one of the women as they tore the fliers down, prosecutors said the assailants had said to the victim.

During the attack, one of the females said, “F**k Israel, f**k your white privilege,” police told prosecutors.

The victim refused medical attention at the scene.

Both suspects fled on foot. The NYPD Crimestoppers circulated photos and a video of the attack and offered a $3,600 reward for any information leading to the arrest of the suspects.

Neither of the suspects had previous arrests.

Reports of anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim threats have spiked several fold since the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7. that ended with 1,400 murders and 239 kidnapped. Bring Them Home Now fliers went up across the city.

There have been numerous pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the city including at the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, in which protestors calling for a permanent cease fire in Gaza temporarily interrupted the parade. They also blocked traffic both ways on the Manhattan Bridge for four hours on Nov. 26.

There have been anti-Palestine incidents as well. On the UES, Stuart Seldowitz, a former National Security Council Chief to President Obama was was arrested and charged with a hate crime following a caught-on-video incident in which he spewed an anti-Islamic rant against a halal cart vendor. Seldowitz has since pleaded not guilty.

Victoria Ruiz, an attorney with the New York Public Defenders Service was caught on video at a demonstration ripping down pictures of Israel kidnap victims. In the video a woman repeatedly asks, “Why are taking down fliers of missing children?” Ruiz initially did not apologize initially. The NYPDS said while it condemned the action, it initially did not fire her. WINS reported on Tuesday that Ruiz had resigned.

In a previous previous hate crime, incident on Nov. 6th two other women, Leah Levine and Nina Kahn, were recorded while they ripped down fliers of Israeli hostages as they said, “F**k Israel.”

The FBI has said anti-Semtic and anti-Muslim threats are skyrocketing nationally as well. In Vermont, three young Palestinian students were shot on Nov. 25.

Meanwhile, the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 11,000. While New Yorkers battle each other there is a temporary cease fire in place in Gaza. So far, about 50 Israeli hostages and 150 Palestinians prisoners have been released.