Man Accused of Antisemitic Subway Abuse Has Courtroom Confrontation

Christopher Husary, 38, who is accused of hurling antisemitic abuse at a Jewish man on the New York City subway in June 2024, had a confrontation with a Daily Mail photographer outside a Manhattan criminal court on Wednesday.

When asked to confirm his identity, Husary initially denied it before becoming confrontational. He then bizarrely suggested that the photographer was "compromised" by Israel and repeatedly asked, "America first or Israel first?"

Before entering the courtroom for his hearing, Husary, who had a campaign flyer for Mayor Zohran Mamdani tucked into his backpack, stated "free Palestine and stop killing children."

Husary faces charges of attempted coercion as a hate crime and aggravated harassment. He pleaded not guilty and was placed on supervised release. The charges stem from an incident where prosecutors allege he threatened and harassed a Jewish lawyer, Joshua Savitt, on the subway. Savitt had photographed Husary allegedly vandalizing a subway car with an inverted red triangle, a symbol recognized by the Anti-Defamation League as a hate symbol associated with Hamas propaganda.

According to prosecutors, when Savitt refused to delete the photo, Husary made threatening remarks, including "We’ll find you and there will be consequences," and "You're not a real Jew."

This New York case follows a hate crime conviction in California earlier in 2024. In that instance, Husary pleaded guilty to robbery with a hate crime enhancement for pushing a woman to the ground at a pro-Israel demonstration and burning her Israeli flag. He was sentenced to 364 days in jail and two years of probation for the California offense.

At the time of both incidents, Husary, then 36, was living with his parents in their $1.8 million Bay Area home in California. After his sentencing in California, NYPD officers were waiting to extradite him to New York.

During Wednesday's hearing, Judge Julieta Lozano stated that Husary's attorney could no longer handle the case due to medical reasons. The hearing was adjourned until November 10 to allow Husary's new lawyer, Taylor Koss, to review the evidence. Lozano also noted that Husary had attended most of his previous New York hearings virtually from California.

Public records indicate Husary now resides in a three-bedroom apartment in Bushwick, Brooklyn, with a monthly rent of $2,800. It is unclear whether he is currently employed in the city.