Columbia’s Terror Mole: Pro-Hamas Agitator Charged with Hate Crimes

A 20-year-old New Yorker, Tarek Bazrouk, who participated in anti-Israel protests at Columbia University, has been indicted on three federal hate crime charges and is alleged to have direct ties to Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades, a designated terrorist group, according to a report by The New York Post.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed that Bazrouk, who is not a Columbia student, was part of a chat group receiving regular updates from Abu Obeida, the official spokesperson for the al-Qassam Brigades, the first known instance of a Columbia protester with such a direct connection to Hamas.

Bazrouk, a U.S. citizen raised in Manhattan, frequently wore a green Hamas headband. He reportedly boasted to friends about overseas relatives in Hamas and traveled to the West Bank and Jordan for three weeks in September-October 2024.

He also engaged in a series of violent antisemitic acts in 2024. Federal prosecutors claim he:

During Columbia’s April 2024 protests, Bazrouk texted a friend about lighting a flare and contemplating setting someone on fire but refrained due to the crowd size, stating he “would’ve hurted [sic] them” otherwise. His cellphone contained pro-Hamas and pro-Hezbollah propaganda, including images of al-Qassam Brigades founder Yahya Sinwar, killed in 2024, and a meme praising the group. Text messages revealed Bazrouk calling himself a “Jew hater,” labeling Jews “worthless,” and urging violence against them, including telling a friend to “slap” a woman with an Israeli sticker on her laptop.

A search of Bazrouk’s Manhattan home uncovered a replica firearm, spent shell casings, brass knuckles, multiple knives, and $750,000 in cash, which his attorney, Andrew Dalack, claimed was from his job at a Connecticut smoke shop.

Bazrouk was also arrested in December 2024 in Connecticut for drug-related charges, with police finding $25,000 worth of marijuana products. He has been detained since May 7, 2025, facing up to 30 years in prison if convicted. Prosecutors denied bail, citing his “danger to the community” due to his support for terrorist groups, violent history, and access to weapons.

Columbia University, which saw intense anti-Israel protests in 2024, stated it has no record of Bazrouk on campus and condemned antisemitism, emphasizing he is not affiliated with the institution. NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban previously described the protests as driven by “professional outside agitators,” with police intervening in April 2024 to clear an illegal building takeover.

A lawsuit filed by former Hamas hostage Shlomi Ziv claims Hamas operatives boasted of influencing U.S. campus protests, including at Columbia, showing Ziv protest images during his captivity.

Oren Segal of the Anti-Defamation League warned that groups nationwide have shared Hamas-run chat content, with some protests displaying Hamas or Hezbollah flags. A 2024 ADL report noted a 140% rise in antisemitic incidents in New York-area schools since October 2023.