The rabbi of a Manhattan synagogue claims that the rhetoric of a public official has contributed to an environment where anti-Semitic attacks can occur, citing a recent stabbing of a Jewish man as evidence. The incident took place on Tisha B'Av, the darkest day on the Jewish calendar, which commemorates historical tragedies.

Moshe Grunhaus, a member of The Jewish Center on Manhattan's Upper West Side, was reportedly stabbed in the chest by an assailant who shouted "Allahu Akbar." The alleged attacker was apprehended by police and charged with assault, attempted murder, and a hate crime. Grunhaus is expected to recover from his injuries.

Rabbi Yosie Levine of The Jewish Center stated that the attack did not occur in a vacuum. He criticized Mayor Zohran Mamdani for what he described as rhetoric that casts the Jewish community as a proxy for the actions of the Israeli government. Levine argued that criticizing Israel, or opposing its existence as a Jewish state, without disparaging its supporters, specifically Jews, is problematic.

"When public officials repeatedly cast the Jewish community as a stand-in for the actions of the Israeli government, visibly Jewish New Yorkers increasingly find themselves in the crosshairs," Levine wrote. He noted that his congregants have questioned whether their children should wear caps instead of yarmulkes in public, and shared an anecdote about a 10-year-old grandson asking his mother why they had to be Jewish.

Levine asserted that words establish moral boundaries and shape perceptions of what behavior is acceptable. He pointed to Mamdani's past statements, including calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "war criminal," falsely accusing Israel of genocide and apartheid, and using terms like "monsters" for its supporters. According to Levine, this "drumbeat of demonization" emboldens those with anti-Jewish sentiments.

"Last week's attack was a sobering reminder that reckless political theater invites bad actors to translate hateful rhetoric into actual hate crimes," Levine stated. He drew a parallel to the concept of "sinat chinam," or baseless hatred, which rabbis taught was a cause for the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.

Levine also addressed Mamdani's call for New Yorkers to protest Netanyahu's upcoming visit to the city. He questioned whether the mayor has shown equal urgency in protecting Jewish New Yorkers who may become targets of passions inflamed by such protests. The rabbi concluded that "fixating on the policies of a foreign leader while failing to confront rising antisemitism on the streets of New York constitutes mayoral malpractice and risks endangering more Jewish lives."

He urged people of conscience to condemn antisemitism and speak out against rhetoric that endangers Jews before further violence occurs.