The recent stabbings near Central Park have intensified worries about antisemitism in New York City. Jessica Tarlov and Lizzy Savetsky discussed this with Bill Hemmer and Shannon Bream. Rabbi Ari Berman, President of Yeshiva University, criticized Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s focus on Israel, saying it undermines New Yorkers. Savetsky linked Mamdani’s anti-Israel stance to increasing hate.
On Tisha B’Av, a significant day for Jews marking the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, an assailant stabbed two men on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. One of the victims wore a yarmulke. Witnesses reported the attacker shouted ‘Allahu Akbar.’ Both victims survived, and a suspect is in custody. Authorities are investigating the motive, yet the crime’s severity is clear.
Just before this attack, Mamdani accused Israel of war crimes and called for the arrest of its Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Such statements, beyond his legal authority, have escalated tensions.
Jewish organizations warned of a hostile environment in the city, and their concerns are proving accurate as violence ensues.
No politician directly armed the attacker, but words can incite actions. Public discourse characterizing the Jewish state as criminal lays a dangerous groundwork for violence. This rhetoric fosters a culture where attacks become conceivable.
The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism & Policy (ISGAP) traced Mamdani’s views back to his college days. He co-founded a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine and minimized Israeli actions in self-defense. He pushed legislation to penalize institutions supporting Israel and removed the city’s recognition of antisemitism’s formal definition.
Mamdani accepted support from groups linked to problematic activities, including a donation from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, connected to a terrorism-financing case. He has been associated with figures like Imam Siraj Wahhaj, who supported the 1993 World Trade Center bomber.
The report and further interviews highlight how Mamdani’s actions align with strategies used by groups like the Muslim Brotherhood. Their intent is to exploit Western freedoms to erode societal foundations gradually.
The antisemitism embedded in Mamdani’s approach isn’t mere ideology. It targets the principles underpinning America itself. The rhetoric opposing Jews, disguised as social justice, correlates with hostility toward liberal democracy.
Attacks on Jews in New York reflect an attack on the city’s essence and democratic values.
Mamdani’s statements and actions are seen as encouraging unrest, with calls for large protests when Netanyahu visits for the U.N. General Assembly. This places law enforcement in a difficult spot, anticipating increased unrest.
Overall, recent violence is attributed to rhetoric that fuels division and misrepresents justice, placing New Yorkers at risk. Charles Asher Small, ISGAP’s founder, emphasizes the danger of such normalized hatred.