Attacker shouting 'allahu akbar' stabs Jewish man with a screwdriver in NYC
The Times of Israel • • general
Key Points:
- A 51-year-old man, Raul Morales, was arrested after stabbing two victims on New York City's Upper West Side, one Jewish and one Asian, with the attacker reportedly shouting "allahu akbar" during the incidents.
- The NYPD is investigating the stabbings, which occurred near a Jewish community center on Tisha B’av, as potential hate crimes, with mental health considered a possible factor.
- The Jewish victim, stabbed with a screwdriver, is in stable condition and wished to remain anonymous to protect his family; the Asian victim was also hospitalized in stable condition.
- The attacks have heightened concerns about antisemitism in New York City, where Jews are disproportionately targeted in hate crimes, with 178 antisemitic incidents reported in the first half of the year.
- Local Jewish leaders and organizations linked the violence to recent incendiary rhetoric from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, calling for an end to language they say incites hatred against Jewish communities.
