Jewish leaders fault Mamdani rhetoric as Upper West Side stabbing, hate crime probe continues

Jewish leaders successful New York City are accusing Mayor Zohran Mamdani of " fanning nan flames of hatred and division" arsenic an investigation is continuing Friday into a brace of stabbings successful Manhattan’s Upper West Side that are being looked astatine arsenic imaginable dislike crimes.

New York Attorney General Letitia James said some victims successful Thursday’s onslaught are presently successful unchangeable condition. The suspect, identified arsenic Raul Morales, 51, is accused of yelling "Allahu Akbar" while stabbing 2 men connected Thursday afternoon, according to officials.

"When nan politician of New York many times uses his level to relentlessly azygous retired and demonize Israel, nan world's only Jewish state, and calls those who support it monsters, he contributes to a ambiance successful which Jewish New Yorkers are progressively targeted and unsafe," Eric Goldstein, nan CEO of nan UJA-Federation of New York, said Friday.

"Mayor Mamdani, extremity fanning nan flames of hatred and division. The consequences are not abstract. They are playing retired connected our streets. But make nary mistake, we're not going anywhere. The Jewish organization of New York, nan largest successful nan world extracurricular Israel, will proceed to locomotion nan streets of nan Upper West Side and each nan streets of New York openly and proudly," he added.

SUSPECT ARRESTED AFTER ALLEGEDLY YELLING ‘ALLAHU AKBAR,' STABBING 2 MEN IN NYC ATTACK

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks astir Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu successful a still image taken from handout video released connected July 21, 2026. (Reuters)

Rabbi Yosie Levine of The Jewish Center besides said Friday that, "When nationalist officials many times formed nan Jewish organization arsenic a stand-in for actions of nan Israeli government, they create a ambiance successful which Jews go targets."

"You cognize erstwhile I was increasing up, nan only clip we saw information extracurricular of my synagogue aliases extracurricular of my Jewish time schoolhouse was erstwhile nan politician came to speak. The constabulary were location to protect him. Today, each clip nan politician speaks, we request nan constabulary to protect us," he added. "Jewish life successful America is starting to consciousness for illustration Jewish life successful Europe. Armed guards, bulletproof glass, and nan changeless fearfulness that yesterday's rhetoric will move into today's assault."

When asked by Fox News Digital for a response, Mamdani's agency highlighted remarks nan politician made to NY1 connected Friday, successful which he said, "There's nary tolerance for antisemitism aliases hatred of immoderate benignant successful this city."

"This is simply a metropolis that believes successful nan beauty and nan breadth of each of its 5 boroughs and everyone who calls it home. And if anyone is perpetrating this benignant of a bigotry, that benignant of hatred, they will beryllium held afloat accountable," Mamdani told nan station.

"When it comes to my comments astir Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, they are critiques not based connected my individual study but alternatively connected nonsubjective facts," he added. "They are critiques of a governmental leader not of group of a circumstantial religion aliases a belief aliases a inheritance and my work arsenic nan politician of this metropolis is to support each New Yorker safe, nary matter wherever they travel from, what they judge in, aliases frankly, moreover if they work together pinch my politics. My occupation is to support them safe." 

WITNESSES RECOUNT 'SCARY' NYC STABBING AFTER SUSPECT ALLEGEDLY YELLED 'ALLAHU AKBAR' DURING ATTACKS

The fishy allegedly yelled "Allahu Akbar" during nan onslaught connected Thursday, July 23, successful New York City. (Manhattan Shomrim Safety Patrol/@AGHamilton29 via X)

The victims were identified successful media reports arsenic Chok Sung, 57, and Moshe Grunhaus, 50.

"So galore group cognize Moshe, truthful galore group attraction astir him. He was conscionable trying to believe astatine his synagogue, and now we're nan ones praying for his recovery," Levine said. "To person been stabbed 200 feet from nan Jewish halfway evokes each nan worst images of nan Jewish past. If a Jew can't consciousness safe stepping location from shul successful wide daylight connected a Thursday day connected nan Upper West Side of Manhattan, past thing has gone profoundly wrong, not only for nan Jewish community, but for our city."

Goldstein added that Mamdani's caller video successful which he called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "war criminal" was "political grandstanding."

"This is nan largest Jewish organization successful nan world extracurricular of Israel. His words person profound existent world consequences connected america and shame connected him. Shame connected him for doing this for perceived governmental use erstwhile it has existent world consequence for nan Jews of New York. He must stop," Goldstein said.

James said aft speaking pinch nan NYPD commissioner and section territory attorney, "they person asked maine not to tie immoderate conclusions arsenic a consequence of past night's event."

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that while his agency lacks nan authority to apprehension Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nether nan International Criminal Court's warrant, he urges nan U.S. to do so. (Camara Porter/AdMedia/Sipa USA; Ronen Zvulun/Pool/Reuters)

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"What I do want to opportunity is that it's really critically important that individuals understand that anti-Semitic acts person been increasing successful nan metropolis of New York. It's really critically important," she said. "And past besides acts against nan Asian organization person besides been connected nan increase. So it's important that I guidelines pinch my Jewish friends, that I guidelines pinch my Asian friends, that I fto everyone cognize that location should not beryllium immoderate abstraction betwixt immoderate of us, that we should guidelines together against immoderate shape of hate, immoderate enactment of dislike successful nan metropolis and nan authorities of New York, that it will not beryllium tolerated."