JTA
Joseph Cohen converted to Islam and adopted the name Mohamid Al-Khattab.

Muslim Convert Pleads Guilty to Threatening 770

A Jewish convert to Islam pleaded guilty to inciting violence, including a call to leave Chabad headquarters in New York “a message from Islam.”

Yousef Mohamid Al-Khattab (a.k.a. Joseph Cohen), 45, of Atlantic City, New Jersey, pleaded guilty yesterday to using his position as a leader of the ‘Revolution Muslim’ websites to use the Internet to place others in fear of serious bodily injury,” said an Oct. 31 statement from the Alexandria, Va., office of the FBI.

Al-Khattab pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court. He faces a sentence of up to five years when he next appears in court, in February.

Many of his incendiary calls were made during Operation Cast Lead in 2009, among them a call to seek out leaders of Jewish federations “and deal with them in their homes.”

He also posted a map with directions to Chabad headquarters and, according to The Washington Post, called on his readers to “make EVERY attempt to reach these people and teach them the message of Islam or leave them a message of Islam.”

The Post said al-Khattab was a dual Israeli citizen.

35 Comments

  • he was not a chossid!! THIS PICTURE IS FALLACIOUS!

    he was raised by very secular brooklyn parents with very little exposure to authentic judaism!

    there is no credible source (nor does he claim) to have been raised religious or orthodox at all!

  • Yukel

    He is a very sick individal who was known for years to the FBI. Unfortunatley he has a Jewish wife and kids. He was not a chossid and never was, anyone can put on put on a purim shpiel

  • disturbing

    the 5 years should be 5 full years & then continued incarceration in a mental ward as there is obviously a serious mental problem otherwise no rational normal Jew could do such a thing!

  • Why?

    When goyim convert to Judaism rabbis celebrate and exalt these “truth” seekers who find light in Torah. When Orthodox Jews convert to other religions, they are branded as “mentally ill.” All in all, comedy.

    • Milhouse

      Yes, what’s your problem with that? When someone stops drinking poison and starts drinking clean water, they are healthy; when someone stops drinking clean water and instead drinks poison, they get sick. What could be more logical or obvious?

    • Milhouse "logic"

      It is silly to claim that ALL mishumodim were mentally deranged. Some were opportunist seeking power, wealth or even attention. Others were seeking revenge for wrongs they suffered. To pre-judge this individual and stereotype the judgement to all mishumodim is typical Milhouse silliness.

    • Milhouse Silliness

      Jews converting out of faith is no comedy. Parents would sit shiva for the spiritual death.

      Milhouse suggests it is a mental illness. That is a silly attempt to justify the conversion, shifting the blame away from the sinner.

      You cannot blame the mentally ill for their actions! The convert is fully culpable. No excuse of acting due to mental illness beyong his control.

      No, Milhouse is wrong (as usual).

      The convert is a ROSHA. He will be shunned during his life time and after death he will be refused burial among Jews.

      Milhose tries to justify conversions out of faith by making it “not responsible” and claiming an insanity defense.

      How absurd!

    • Good Day

      Milhouse, how was your day? If you respond to this I clearly know you have too much free time on your hands. Silly is silly no matter where you get it from.

    • Torah Agrees with Milhouse?

      A “sjoiteh” (imbecile/mentally ill) is not responsible for his action: Torah

      A sinner only sins when he is transformed into a “shoiteh” or possessed by mental illness: Torah.

      Following “Milhouse Logic” – all sinners are not responsible for their misdeeds.

      However, since the Torah DOES hold sinners accountable, we must conclude that imbeciles and the mentally ill are responsible for their actions.

      But this is circular, since they are NOT held accountable for their deeds.

      Typical Milhouse silliness.

  • Binaymin Akiva (student)

    I know someone who reached out to him before. He isn’t mentally there in the head. He need psychiatric help not time in a prison cell, it’s only going to get worse in there.

  • Former OT'nik

    I was there when he first became interested in judaism and came to shul in AC for rosh hashana.
    And now look at him!

  • Milhouse

    There’s got to be more to this than is being reported here, because what the article quotes him as saying would not be illegal, and would be constitutionally protected speech. He has every right to call on Moslems to come to 770 and preach to us or give us a message about Islam, so long as he doesn’t tell them to do it with violence. If someone chooses to use violence, that’s not his problem.

    Even advocating actual violence is legal, unless it’s calculated to drive someone into a frenzy and make them act on it without stopping to think. So he must have said or done much more than is being reported.

  • How?

    How did he get turned? I am confused looking at these pictures. Just hard to understand why he would go to Islam after having a Torah education.

  • Avi

    He used to attend Chabad in Atlantic City for awhile and then even considered himself chabad for some time until other forms of chasidism appealed to him. Well, now he considers himself muslim…

  • Fresser Rebbe

    BH

    Listen, as far as i can tell he never sported the Yellow Degel, so he’s not a true terrorist in the full sense

  • Milhouse

    “the constitutional guarantees of free speech and free press do not permit a State to forbid or proscribe advocacy of the use of force or of law violation except where such advocacy is directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action and is likely to incite or produce such action. “

    • Milhouse "logic"

      Quoting from internet sources to decide Constitutional definitions of complex legal issues is simply silly. Courts have discussed the issue at various levels of authority, subject to particular facts of individual cases. This is a perfect example how a little knowledge is dangerous, The half wit is worse than the nit wit,

    • Milhouse

      Excuse me? “Internet sources”?! You’ve just exposed your extreme ignorance on this topic, and should better shut up before you make more of a fool of yourself.

    • Milhouse Silliness

      See the problem here: Milhouse supports “freedom of expression” and “free speech” WHILE trying to silence me by telling me to shut up!

      You have the constitutional right and freedom to speak your mind as long as what you say are things that Milhouse agrees with!

      Typical pure silliness.

    • Milhouse

      You should shut up because you’re an ignoramus and a fool. You have the constitutional right to show everyone what a fool you are, but you shouldn’t take advantage of that right.

      And of course on a private blog you have no rights, any more than I do; the blog owner is not Congrefs, and is not bound by the first amendment.

    • Milhoufe's Congrefs?

      Are you illiterate (like some of the Founding Fathers)? Are are you from 18th Century Germany? Or just being silly as usual?

  • He has been interviewed

    The interview has revealed how little he knows about authentic Judaism

    It was ironic, how the values and ideas he said to have attracted him to Islam, were very much classical judao-Christian values,

    In an honest moment he does admit how he has always had communication issues with his parents and never really got along with his own immediate family, he is a wounded child and simply rebelling in a twisted way, very sad!

    FYI: he was never orthodox, his education and upbringing was unfortunately very secular,

  • Yossel

    I remember a story about this guy many years ago…he came from Satmar. yes, he’s mentally unbalanced, but his craziness is taken seriously by Muslims here in New York and Israel, where he lived with his Arab wife and children at one time.

    He poses a danger to our community and while I don’t wish him harm, his evil activities need to be stopped.

  • ord

    5 years is not enough. either in mental hosp or jail. this is unstable AND evil.
    if he grew up frum, then some people didnt step in to help his family or whatever was going on. if not frum, then I don’t know what to say, but still, he does not belong on the street.