A rabbi was physically assaulted and verbally harassed in Forrest Hills, Queens, on Tuesday, which was International Holocaust Remembrance Day, according to a joint statement released by a number of New York officials.
The victim did not suffer serious injuries, and the suspected assailant was taken into custody by police shortly following the incident, according to the statement.
The statement, released by NYC Council Member Lynn Schulman, Sen. Joe Addabbo, Sen. Leroy Comrie, State Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi, and Assemblymember Sam Berger, decried the attack as "a targeted act of hate," and added that they stand in solidarity with the victim and with the Jewish community "during this painful moment."
NYC officials: Rise of antisemitic incidents 'deeply troubling'
"The rise in antisemitic incidents across our city and country is deeply concerning, and this attack underscores the urgent responsibility we all share to confront hate before it escalates into violence," the statement read.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also condemned the antisemitic assault in a statement on Twitter/X on Tuesday evening.
The mayor noted that the attack coincided with International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Mamdani said the incident demonstrated that antisemitism remains a current threat and called for action to address it.
“There is no place for antisemitism in our city,” Mamdani said, adding that he stands in solidarity with Jewish New Yorkers. He stated that his administration is committed to addressing and eliminating antisemitism.
This is a developing story.