A man allegedly screaming 'Allahu Akbar' stabbed two people — including a Jewish man — near a synagogue in New York City on Thursday, 24 July, prompting police to investigate the attacks as a potential hate crime. New York Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica Tisch identified the alleged assailant as 51-year-old Raul Morales, who was later apprehended after barricading himself inside a nearby public housing flat.

What Happened

Moshe Yezhak Grunhaus, a Jewish man, had left the Jewish Centre on Thursday afternoon after attending services marking a Jewish day of mourning for the destruction of ancient temples in Jerusalem, when he was stabbed with a screwdriver, according to officials. A rabbi confirmed the circumstances of the attack.

A second victim, Chok Sung, a man of East Asian descent, was stabbed with a knife in a separate but nearby incident. Both attacks took place near Central Park. Both victims were hospitalised and are expected to survive, according to Commissioner Tisch.

What Authorities Said

Commissioner Tisch stated that, 'according to victim and witness statements, Morales yelled Allahu Akbar during both attacks.' Police are formally evaluating whether the incidents constitute hate crimes.

Mayor Zohair Mamdani acknowledged in a post on X that 'the perpetrator yelled Allahu Akbar during both attacks' but noted that the department's 'initial investigation suggests that mental health may have been a factor.' He added, 'These hateful and despicable attacks have no place in our city.'

City Council Speaker Julie Menin also posted on X, stating, 'The fear in the Jewish community is real. Every New Yorker deserves to feel safe in their neighbourhood, regardless of their faith or identity.'

A picture released by Manhattan Shomrim, a Jewish safety patrol, depicted the alleged assailant as a tall, gaunt man with a closely shaved head wearing a camouflage-type T-shirt. Tisch commended 'the bravery of a good Samaritan' who led police to Morales's hideout.

Jewish Community Response

The United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York linked the incident to a broader pattern of anti-Semitic violence, stating: 'These attacks came soon after Mayor Mamdani once again used his official platform to viciously attack Israel, the only Jewish state.'

The organisation added, 'We cannot ignore the dangerous climate created when elected leaders relentlessly portray Israel — and, by extension, the many Jewish New Yorkers who feel a deep connection to it — as uniquely evil and illegitimate.' The Federation's statement reflects growing tensions between New York's Jewish community and the city's political leadership over rhetoric related to Israel.

Rising Anti-Semitism in New York

According to NYPD data, there were 152 confirmed hate crimes against Jews in New York City in the period through May 2025. In May alone, anti-Semitic attacks recorded a 70 per cent spike compared to the same month the previous year.

This incident comes amid a broader pattern of violence in the city. In March, authorities described an incident as an Islamic State-inspired attack, in which two men shouted 'Allahu Akbar' while allegedly attempting to bomb a protest outside Mayor Mamdani's official residence. On Monday, a separate individual set fire outside an immigration enforcement office and discharged shots from an air rifle. Investigators have not publicly linked these incidents to Thursday's stabbings.