NYC Stabbings on Tisha B’Av Ignite Antisemitism Fears
A 51-year-old man shouted “Allahu Akbar” as he stabbed two men in separate attacks on Manhattan’s Upper West Side on Thursday afternoon, an assault that occurred on Tisha B’Av, the most solemn day in the Jewish calendar. Raul Morales has been charged with two counts of attempted murder as hate crimes, and the attacks have reignited a fierce debate over whether Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s rhetoric toward Israel has contributed to a climate of rising antisemitism in New York City.
The two victims — Moshe Yezhak Grunhaus, a 50-year-old Jewish man, and Chok Sung, a 57-year-old Asian man — were both listed in stable condition at Mount Sinai-St. Luke’s Hospital, according to ABC News. The first attack occurred near West 84th Street and Central Park West at approximately 1:31 p.m., where Sung was stabbed once in the torso. Morales then fled north and encountered Grunhaus near a synagogue at West 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, stabbing him in the chest and abdomen with a screwdriver.
The Attacks and Investigation
Prosecutors say Morales yelled “Allahu Akbar” three times during the rampage and was heard shouting “justice for Islam” near the synagogue before attacking Grunhaus. Police recovered a knife — still lodged in Sung’s back, requiring surgical removal — and a screwdriver from the scene. Investigators executing a search warrant at Morales’ Upper West Side apartment seized a Koran and a biography of Che Guevara, as reported by Newsweek.
Morales barricaded himself inside his apartment following the attacks but surrendered after negotiations with the NYPD Emergency Service Unit, aided by a Good Samaritan who led officers to his location. He was arraigned Friday evening on two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault, and one count of attempted assault — all charged as hate crimes. His mother cried out “Raul, I’m here” in court as the suspect mouthed “I love you, mom” before being led away. A judge ordered a psychiatric evaluation, with his next court date set for July 30.
NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch noted that while the suspect has no known mental health history with the department, the initial investigation suggests mental health may have been a factor.
A Community on Edge
The timing of the attacks — on Tisha B’Av, a day of fasting and mourning commemorating the destruction of the Jewish temples in Jerusalem — added profound symbolic weight. Jewish New Yorkers, who make up approximately 10% of the city’s population, are targets of more than 55% of all confirmed hate crimes, according to NYPD data cited by Jewish leaders. The NY Post reported that antisemitic incidents have surged 70.8% year-over-year as of May 2026.
Eric Goldstein, CEO of UJA-Federation of New York, expressed the community’s anguish at a press conference Friday. “We’re horrified and heartbroken by yesterday’s attacks. But to be clear, we’re no longer surprised,” Goldstein said, directing sharp criticism at Mayor Mamdani. “When the mayor of New York repeatedly uses his platform to relentlessly single out and demonize Israel, the world’s only Jewish state, and calls those who support it ‘monsters,’ he contributes to a climate in which Jewish New Yorkers are increasingly targeted and unsafe.”
Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, president of Yeshiva University, accused Mamdani of actively raising tensions. “He’s raising the temperature. It’s not that he’s just not lowering it; he’s raising it. He has absolutely failed,” Berman told the NY Post.
Mayor Mamdani Under Fire
The stabbings occurred just days after Mamdani posted a video threatening to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes during a planned visit to Manhattan — a threat legal experts widely dismissed as unenforceable and which Mamdani later acknowledged he lacked the authority to carry out.
Critics, including ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, have directly linked Mamdani’s rhetoric to the attacks. “This violence did not grow in a vacuum. Months of incitement against the State of Israel by Mamdani helped create a reality in which Jews become targets. Words have consequences,” Sa’ar wrote on X.
Mamdani’s initial response to the stabbings came hours after NYPD Commissioner Tisch’s briefing and drew criticism for largely mirroring her language. When pressed by reporters Friday, he offered a formulaic condemnation. “This is a city where we have no tolerance for hatred of any kind,” Mamdani said, adding that “mental health may have been a role” in the attacks — a comment critics saw as downplaying the antisemitic motive.
Assemblyman Micah Lasher, poised to become the next congressman for the district where the attacks occurred, pleaded for de-escalation. “I beseech all those in a position of power, including our mayor, to hear our cry from the heart, to please help take the temperature down.”
Broader Fallout
The controversy has expanded beyond the Jewish community. On Saturday, families of 9/11 victims launched a petition drive to bar Mamdani from the 25th anniversary ceremony at Ground Zero, citing his associations with individuals who have defended or minimized terrorism against the United States. Organizer Giovanni Galante, whose wife was killed on 9/11, called Mamdani an “unwelcome guest.” Over 1,100 signatures have been collected, including from at least 300 victims’ families.
What’s Next
Morales remains held without bail pending a psychiatric evaluation and his next court appearance on July 30, which may shed light on his motive and mental state. Meanwhile, the political fallout continues to deepen the rift between the Mamdani administration and Jewish New Yorkers, raising questions about public safety, community trust, and the power of political speech in an already polarized city. As Danny Danon, Israel’s UN ambassador, warned: “Every time you pour more fuel on this fire, you make violence more likely. Stop the incitement. Before more people get hurt.”