A hateful suspect accused of slugging a Jewish man wearing an Israeli military hoodie on a Brooklyn street struck a plea deal in the anti-Semitic attack, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Suleiman Othman, 28, was accused of punching Blake Zavadsky twice and tossing an iced coffee on him — simply because Zavadsky was wearing an Israel Defense Forces sweatshirt — on Dec. 26, 2021 in Bay Ridge.
Othman, of Staten Island, pleaded guilty to attempted third-degree assault as a hate crime in Brooklyn Supreme Court Monday.
Under the terms of a plea deal, Othman is slated to receive a 60 day jail term and three years probation at his Sept. 20 sentencing, according to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office.
The victim had been standing outside a Foot Locker in Bay Ridge wearing a green hoodie with a yellow IDF emblem, when Othman came up to him and said: “Why do you support those dirty Jews?” prosecutors said.
“What are you doing in my neighborhood? You mess with the killers. If you don’t take off your hoodie, I’m going to punch you,” Othman continued, according to the DA’s office.
Zavadsky refused to take off the sweatshirt prompting Othman to attack him, prosecutors said.
Othman fled the scene and wasn’t arrested until Jan. 11, 2022 — after he was caught on multiple surveillance cameras, the DA’s office said.
“The hateful and unprovoked assault this defendant admitted to today left one victim hurt, but also shook an entire community,” District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement. “His conviction, jailtime and probation should send a message that this kind of intolerance has serious consequences.”
A day after the anti-Semitic attack, Zavadsky told The Post he wouldn’t stop wearing the sweatshirt.
“You can’t be scared to walk outside and say you’re Jewish,” he said. “You have to be proud of who you are and stand up for what you believe — and not be intimidated.
Othman’s criminal defense attorney Muhammad Ikhlas declined to comment Tuesday.
