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March 14 (UPI) -- A former California rideshare driver was arrested Wednesday for assaulting a passenger he believed was either Jewish or from Israel. The incident occurred at San Francisco International Airport on Oct. 26 amid surging antisemitic and anti-Muslim incidents being reported across the United States in response to Israel's war against Iran-backed Hamas in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza.
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According to the indictment, Csaba John Csukás, 39, was hired through an unspecified rideshare company to pick up a passenger at the California airport and then drive them home.
Prosecutors allege that when Csukás approached the passenger at the predetermined location, he asked if they were Jewish or Israeli.
Csukás "stated that he would not transport a Jewish or Israeli person" and "attacked the victim by striking the victim in the face with his fist," the Justice Department said.
The Daly City resident made his initial court appearance Wednesday and has been charged with committing a federal hate crime by injuring a person over their actual or perceived religion or national origin affecting interstate commerce.
If convicted, Csukás faces up to 10 years' imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
"No one in this country should live in fear because of how they worship or where they come from," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.
"The Justice Department will aggressively prosecute those who perpetrate hate-fueled violence motivated by antisemitism or by bias of any kind."
Ridshare company Lyft confirmed to UPI in an emailed statement that the driver had been hired through its service, and has since been removed from its platform.
"Lyft unequivocally condemns anti-semitism and all other forms of discrimination on the basis of religion or country of origin," a Lyft spokesman said.
"We have contacted the rider to extend our support and assistance, permanently removed the driver's account from the platform and assisted law enforcement with their investigation."
Since the war in Israel began on Oct. 7 with Hamas' surprise attack on the Middle Eastern country, there have been rising reports of hate-related incidents directed at both Jewish and Arab residents across the United States.
According to the Jewish advocacy group Anti-Defamation League, there was a 388% increase in anti-Semitic incidents of harassment, vandalism and assault reported between Oct. 7 and Oct. 23 following the start of the war.
FBI Director Christopher Wray also commented days later that the threat of anti-Semitism in the United States was reaching "historic levels."
By Jan. 7, the ADL said it had recorded 3,291 incidents.
The Council of American Islamic Relations also tallied 3,578 complaints of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate that it had received between October and December. The organization said the number represented a rise of 178% in such complaints over the previous year.
"When taking public transportation -- whether a taxi, bus, or rideshare -- customers should be able to ride without being profiled, or worse yet attacked, because of their nationality or religion by drivers," U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey for the Northern District of California said in a statement.
"We will prosecute any ride-share driver who assaults a passenger in such hate-fueled violence."
