New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani remained silent for serveal hours on what officials described as an antisemitic stabbing in New York City on Thursday afternoon, choosing to instead post about his millionaire housing tax initiative â even as the attack drew attention from other state officials.
“I have been briefed on todays horrifying stabbings on the Upper West Side, where an Asian man and a Jewish man were attacked. According to witness and victim statements, the perpetrator yelled “Allahu Akbar” during both attacks. I am relieved that both victims are in stable condition,” Mamdani wrote in a statement.
“The NYPD responded immediately and arrested Raul Morales in connection with both assaultsâand I am grateful to the officers for their swift response.”
The delayed response from Mamdani played into the fears of some observers that his critical stances towards Israel, views shared by many progressives, are feeding into hesitations about supporting Jewish communities in the U.S.
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Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, another member of the New York City Council, more pointedly laid blame with Mamdani.
“According to credible reports I received, the attacker was yelling Allahu Akbar during his attempted murder. I pray for the speedy recovery of the victims. [Mamdani,] you got blood on your hands,” she wrote.
Authorities reported that a 57-year-old man was reportedly attacked near West 84th Street and Central Park West just after 1:30 p.m. local time. He was found conscious and alert with a stab wound to his back. He was taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
Investigators later found another 50-year-old man nearby with a stab wound to his torso. He was also conscious and alert and was taken to a nearby hospital.
City officials described the violence as an “antisemitic stabbing,” though police have not yet identified a motive or said whether the attacks are being investigated as a .
Raul Morales, the suspect, is in custody, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) told Fox News Digital.
Almost immediately, the incident drew alarm and condemnation from observers, expressing dismay at another instance of violence against the Jewish community in New York City.
“Disgusted by what appears to be another senseless attack on New Yorkers simply because theyre Jewish,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a post to X.
“While we await additional details to be confirmed, we know that what is happening in our city is abhorrent. The fear in the Jewish community is real. Every New Yorker deserves to feel safe in their neighborhood, regardless of their faith or identity.”
“While we await additional details to be confirmed, we know that what is happening in our city is abhorrent. The fear in the Jewish community is real. Every New Yor