Jew-hating Palestinian migrant busted for pummeling NY homeowner, swiping pro-Israel flag: cops
A self-described Palestinian migrant from northern Africa stole a pro-Israel flag from a Long Island porch — then pummeled the homeowner who tried to stop him in a wild caught-on-video attack, officials said.
Bechir Lehbeib, 26, allegedly stole the flag — which declared “In This Home We Stand with Israel — from Aleksandr Binyaminov’s porch, cops said.
Binyaminov, who said one of his wife’s relatives was killed in the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks on Israel, was left bruised after the attack and blamed President Biden’s border policies for the clash.
The homeowner told The Post he was alerted by his Ring security system that someone was at his house and he looked at video of the front of his house to see the theft in progress.
“So I got dressed, came out. I confronted him,” Binyaminov said. “I told him, ‘Give me the flags,’ and he just started fighting with me and punching me in my face.”
Binyaminov said he “didn’t think twice” about running after Lehbieb to retrieve the flag.
“I was a little hot and it meant something to us,” he told The Post.
“He basically got me in a choke position, threw me on the floor and head butted me. He was saying, ‘I’m from Palestine. You’re killing Jews.’ That’s all he said,” Binyaminov said.
The accused later allegedly ranted to to cops that he hated Israeli Jews and made other hateful statements, authorities told The Post.
He told police who arrested him, “If I see the flag of the people that killed my people, we will have a problem.”
Lehbeib, who descibed himself as Palestinian, entered the U.S.from Mexico in November, authorities said. Officials said they aren’t sure of his country of origin, but said they believe he migrated from somewhere in the northern part of Africa.
He is now facing hate crime charges of second degree assault and robbery and criminal mischief. He was arraigned on Monday in Nassau District Court and Lehbeid was detained on $50,000.
Binyaminov had a red bruise under his right eye from getting pummeled by Lehbeib while he lamented the migrant crisis in the US.
“This is happening because of open borders, and before letting people in we need to see their backgrounds. We need to protect our country, our citizens, our taxpayers,” Binyaminov said.
The devout Jewish man called Hewlett is a “very quiet” neighborhood where “nothing ever happens”, adding, “I don’t know what he was doing in our neighborhood, targeting our Jewish members.”
“I know he’s facing a couple of felonies, but this was his choice,” Binyaminov said.
Nassau County authorities were outraged.
“Nassau County is not a sanctuary county,” said county Executive Bruce Blakeman, who announced the arrest along with Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly.
The circumstances surrounding Lehbeib’s roaming of the Hewlett neighborhood are under investigation, authorities said.
Lehbieb, who said he was in the neighborhood looking for work, had two listed addresses: one in Jamaica, Queens and a second at the hotel-turned-shelter Ramada by Wyndham on Staten Island.
He is believed to have taken a bus from the Queens address to Hewlett, cops said.
“It’s very suspicious,” Blakeman said. “He came a long way from Staten Island to get here. If he’s looking for work why did he have nefarious ideas.
“It’s absolutely crazy,” he added.
Blakeman expressed concerned that terrorists and organized criminals are pouring over the lax U.S.-Mexican border, unvetted and wanting to cause harm.
“These aren’t people kissing the ground when they come here. They’re spitting on our flag,” he said.
“It’s an invasion. It’s a disgrace.”
