Plaintiff, a Jewish Israeli citizen who served in the Israel Defense Forces and identified in court papers as John Doe, moved to New York and created a start-up firm that was ultimately acquired by Intel Corp.. Plaintiff eventually became an Intel vice president.

After the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas, defendant Badr, another Intel vice president, made statements and social media posts supporting Hamas's actions and calling for the murder of Israelis like plaintiff and members of his family.