The head of the Chabad community in Brooklyn's Crown Heights and another person were stabbed overnight in Manhattan's Upper West Side, reportedly by a suspect who shouted 'Allahu Akbar.' Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar condemned the attack and blamed New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's incitement for creating an environment that endangers Jews. The stabbing came roughly a day after Mamdani called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a 'war criminal,' according to Ariel Kahana (Israel Hayom).
In the early hours of Friday morning, a 51-year-old suspect named Raul Morales stabbed two men on Manhattan's Upper West Side, reportedly shouting 'Allahu Akbar.' One of the victims is a Jewish man in his 50s who had just left a synagogue; the other is an Asian man in his 50s. Both are hospitalized in stable condition, according to N12 (Asaf Rozentzweig). The attack occurred roughly a day after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a 'war criminal' in a viral video.
Initial reports at 01:55 Jerusalem quoted Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar saying he was 'shocked but not surprised' by the antisemitic stabbing and linking it to anti-Israel incitement. Within minutes, Sa'ar explicitly blamed Mamdani's 'months of incitement' for creating a climate where Jews become targets. Subsequent updates identified the suspect and confirmed the victims' conditions.
Mamdani has faced repeated accusations of fueling antisemitism. As The Zioneer reported, he previously described AIPAC and its supporters as 'monsters' and doubled down on the remark. He later issued a Tisha B'Av greeting to New York Jews. Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon and Consul General Ofir Akunis have also condemned his rhetoric as endangering Jewish lives.
The NYPD is investigating the stabbing. No direct link between Mamdani's statements and the attacker has been established, and the suspect's motive remains unclear.
4 developments
- StrongNew York Governor: Stabbing attack appears to be antisemitic hate crime
- StrongSix Suspects Arrested in Overnight Stabbing in Jerusalem's Har Homa; Two Wounded, One Serious
- DevelopingSuspected stabbing in Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda market
- StrongTwo men arrested after pointing gun at Jewish worshippers leaving Sydney Chabad
Source and signal
- Internal intake