New York City Police Department (NYPD) vehicles are seen in Brooklyn, New York, United States, on Oct. 13, 2024. Photo: Kyle Mazza via Reuters Connect
Two men, one of which was confirmed to be Jewish, were stabbed in New York City on Thursday in what’s being investigated as a potential hate crime, according to reports.
The two individuals, one of which was visibly Jewish, were stabbed by a man while walking on the Upper West Side around 1:30 pm, according to NYPD. The assailant stabbed the first victim, a 50 year old male, in the back while he walked on a sidewalk. The suspect then allegedly stabbed a second victim, a 57 year-old male, in the torso near West 86th Street and Central Park West.
Police are investigating a claims that the assailant shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the attack.
The police say they have apprehended a suspect and have taken him in for questioning. However, the authorities say that it is too early to assign a motive for the attack and mental health may have been a contributing factor.
New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin issued a statement condemning the stabbing and for a vigorous effort to combat antisemitism.
“I am absolutely sickened and furious by what appears to be an antisemitic stabbing on the Upper West Side,” she said.
“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,” she continued.
New York State Assemblyman Micah Lasher shared similar sentiments, stating that his constituents are upset about the stabbing.
“I am hearing from constituents. People are upset. People are concerned, understandably,” he said to reporters. “We’re all, I think, right now focused on praying for the victims and their survival and recovery.”
The stabbing comes on the heels of a surge of antisemitic attacks in New York City. On Wednesday, a 64 year-old man in Brooklyn was shoved to the ground by a man shouting antisemitic slurs. The police are currently investigating this incident as a potential hate crime.
Anti-Jewish hate crimes continued to dominate New York City’s bias-crime landscape in the first half of 2026. The NYPD recorded 178 confirmed anti-Jewish hate crimes—55.3% of all confirmed hate crimes citywide—even though Jews comprise only about 10% of New York City’s population. By comparison, police confirmed 21 anti-Muslim hate crimes and 33 targeting sexual orientation, meaning anti-Jewish incidents outnumbered anti-Muslim incidents by more than 8 to 1.
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani has come under fire for engaging in behavior which critics argue foment antisemitism. He has repeatedly accused Israel of committing a “genocide” in Gaza. He has also repeatedly refused to affirm that Israel should continue to exist as a Jewish state. During his campaign, he initially refused to condemn the controversial slogan “Globalize the Intifada,” which many consider a call to violence. He eventually reversed his position and said he would “discourage” anti-Israel activists from using the slogan.
Mamdani came under additional criticism after he released a video Tuesday in which he walked back a campaign promise to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In the video, Mamdani said city attorneys had explored whether New York could execute the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against the Israeli leader, but to his dismay he does not possess the legal authority to apprehend Netanyahu. He continued, accusing the Israeli leader of “genocide,” declaring the Israeli leader as “not welcome” in NYC and urging the federal government to enforce the arrest warrant.
Jewish leaders such as Moshe Spern, president of United Jewish Teachers, warned that “inflammatory rhetoric” from NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani could “could incite further hostility or targeting of Jewish institutions.” Citing increased hostility towards the Jewish community, Spern requested a heavier NYPD presence at Jewish institutions over the period of the Tisha B’Av holiday.
“The Jewish community in New York simply wants to feel safe in our places of worship, learning, and gathering. We have seen too many incidents of antisemitic harassment and violence in recent months, and statements like the Mayor’s only exacerbate an already tense environment,” Spern wrote.