Two men, a Jewish man and an Asian man, were stabbed overnight Thursday-Friday outside an Orthodox synagogue on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, a neighborhood near Central Park. The New York Police Department said the two were taken to hospitals in stable condition and that it had arrested a suspect.
Police said the victims themselves, as well as eyewitnesses, reported that the attacker, 51-year-old Raul Morales, shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the stabbings.
According to a law enforcement official with knowledge of the matter, the attacker walked up to the first man, Chok Sung, 57, on West 84th and Central Park West and stabbed him in the back. He then went to West 86th Street, the official said, where he approached another man, Yezhak Grunhaus, 50, and stabbed him once in the chest.
New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin called the incident an “antisemitic stabbing” and said, “The fear in the Jewish community is real. Every New Yorker deserves to feel safe in their neighborhood, regardless of their faith or identity.”
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch issued a statement regarding the incident, saying there was no search underway for additional suspects.
“Detectives are continuing to work the case and determine motive, but according to victim and witness statements, Morales yelled “Allahu Akbar” during both attacks. The NYPD is currently evaluating whether this is a potential hate crime,” she said.
She added: “While the perpetrator has no known mental health history with the NYPD, the initial investigation suggests that mental health may have been a factor. At this time there is no known link between Morales and either of the victims, nor between the victims and each other. I want to commend the bravery of a good Samaritan who led our officers to the location where the perpetrator was hiding, as well as our NYPD cops who brought an end to the incident without further injuries.”
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar criticized Mayor Zohran Mamdani: “I am horrified by the shocking antisemitic stabbing incident in New York. I am horrified, but unfortunately not surprised. This violence did not emerge in a vacuum. Months of incitement against the State of Israel by (Mayor) Mamdani helped create a reality in which Jews become targets. Words have consequences. Mamdani must stop the incitement, stand firmly against antisemitism and act immediately to protect the Jewish community in the city.”
Mamdani himself addressed the stabbings: “I have been briefed on today’s 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. The NYPD responded immediately and arrested Raul Morales in connection with both assaults—and I am grateful to the officers for their swift response. The NYPD’s initial investigation suggests that mental health may have been a factor. They are also evaluating these stabbings as potential hate crimes.”
Synagogue in New York
(Photo: RYAN MURPHY / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon also responded to the Manhattan stabbings and criticized Mamdani.
“Zohran Mamdani, your incitement is putting Jewish lives in danger in New York, home to the largest Jewish community outside Israel. You have spent months fueling hatred, demonizing Israel and legitimizing hostility toward Jews. Now take responsibility for the consequences. Every time you pour more fuel on this fire, you make violence more likely. Stop the incitement. Before more people get hurt.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said following the incident: “Disgusted by what appears to be another senseless attack on New Yorkers simply because they’re Jewish. The strength of New York has always been our ability to live together across every faith and background. Anyone who tries to tear that apart will be met with the full force of the law. New York will stand with our Jewish community today, tomorrow, and always.”