Hate Crimes
“Every New Yorker deserves to live in a safe city where they can practice their faith freely and without fear,” stated NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
“If the pattern holds over time and continues to grow as the months get warmer, then you start to look at things that changed at the turn of the year that might have explained it,” Rafael Mangual, of the Manhattan Institute, told JNS.
Armani Charles, 23, was arrested in December for stabbing a Jewish man near Chabad headquarters after shouting that he wanted to “kill Jewish people.”
“When hatred reaches students this young, antisemitism is not just alive, it is thriving,” Hen Mazzig, a senior fellow at the Tel Aviv Institute, stated.
“The attacks are only intensifying in New York, and the response requires more than a statement,” the Israeli consul general in New York stated.
Police say a Toronto-area boy, 14, made antisemitic calls to Jewish institutions amid a surge in anti-Jewish threats, vandalism and violence since Oct. 7.
In his new book, “American Reich,” Eric Lichtblau examines the 2018 murder of Blaze Bernstein in Orange County as a case study of the nationwide revival of neo-Nazi and white supremacist movements.
“As alleged, Alazim Baker deliberately targeted Jewish victims with violence,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.
The arson of Beth Israel Congregation “is not merely an attack on a building,” the bipartisan measure states. “It is an attack on the right of individuals to worship as they deem proper.”
The new legislation draws strong support from major Jewish bodies for tackling antisemitism, but the Australian Jewish Association warns it was rushed and threatens free speech.
“This is the first time in American history that the same exact synagogue has been hit twice for the same fundamental cause, which is blaming the Jew for the problems that the perpetrator perceives exist,” Gary Zola told JNS.
“At a time when antisemitism is at unprecedented levels, this hate crimes policy demonstrates Alexandria’s commitment to standing against all hate,” a local Jewish community leader stated.
