How many incidents have there been? It’s unclear, but enough that both Cuomo and de Blasio have issued statements about it.
I unequivocally condemn these brutal attacks on visibly Jewish New Yorkers.
NY is home to people from all faiths & backgrounds—everyone must be able to walk the streets safely.
I am directing the @nyspolice Hate Crimes Task Force to offer their assistance in the investigation. pic.twitter.com/WQJp7pTYHC
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) May 21, 2021
Anti-semitism has NO place in our city.
There’s no excuse for violence against someone because of who they are. None. We will bring the perpetrators of this vicious act of hate to justice.
If you have information about this incident, please contact @NYPDHateCrimes IMMEDIATELY. https://t.co/vnm1GBlu1q
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) May 21, 2021
John posted numerous clips last night of yesterday’s brawl in Times Square plus incidents of people throwing firecrackers at Jews in other parts of the city. But that wasn’t the extent of it. Two days ago, in midtown, this happened:
Protesters attack a bagel shop on 3rd Ave and 51st. This bagel shop is right near the UES, walking distance to Park East synagogue and other Jewish institutions. pic.twitter.com/d5oleJBJWz
— Johnny “Facts Matter” Kunza (@johnkunza) May 19, 2021
One of the men who was attacked, an Israeli, believes the mob turned on him and his friend when they heard them speaking Hebrew.
Things got nastier last night, with keffiyeh-wearing thugs harassing Jews right in front of the NYPD:
Open season on Jews in NYC. pic.twitter.com/eFpiBz0dPi
— Chaskel Bennett (@ChaskelBennett) May 21, 2021
This is the most frightening one I’ve seen so far, with a woman being spit on repeatedly. If cops hadn’t come through seconds later, God only knows how nasty this would have gotten:
These are not Palestinian terror supporters. These are actual terrorists on the streets of New York City. Attacking diners for one reason. They’re Jewish. pic.twitter.com/mVrhIh8mCc
— Avi Kaner (@AviKaner) May 21, 2021
Even the “peaceful” protests didn’t sound so peaceful:
Black Lives Matter and pro-Palestinian activists chant “Black lives matter, crackers don’t matter” in New York City. pic.twitter.com/T7k6fC5Mgg
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) May 21, 2021
The most genteel clip circulating this morning is dudes doing donuts with a giant Palestinian flag right in front of the Washington Square arch:
Please share widely to show the insanity of the moment we’re in.This is Washington Square Park, NYC. pic.twitter.com/7rw1Onee5r
— Deborah Friedman (@DeborahProudJew) May 20, 2021
It’s not just New York City, of course. The UK reportedly saw a 250 percent surge in anti-semitic incidents in the first few days after the latest fighting between Israel and Hamas began. A lowlight:
Dear God: cars festooned with Palestinian flags are going through heavily Jewish neighborhoods of London with loudspeakers blaring, "F*ck the Jews. Rape their daughters."
Tell me more about how anti-Zionism isn't antisemitic.pic.twitter.com/deB2gskIky
— Avi Mayer (@AviMayer) May 16, 2021
In L.A. a few nights ago, a “caravan” of people waving Palestinian flags drove past a sushi restaurant located near several synagogues and Jewish schools. They started throwing bottles at the people dining outside and hopped out to attack them:
🚨🚨 Tonight pro-Palestinian individuals were driving with megaphones around La Cienega & Beverly (a heavily Jewish area) in Los Angeles and threw objects at Jews at a restaurant table. Some threw things back.
The pro-Palestinian group came to the sidewalk to fight.
— Sia Kordestani 🦁 (@SiaKordestani) May 19, 2021
Police are investigating the attack of Jewish patrons at a Los Angeles sushi restaurant as a possible hate crime. A group of people yelling in support of Palestine shouted anti-Semitic remarks at diners before beating one of the men: pic.twitter.com/hC3HxgZkMe
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) May 21, 2021
The mayor of L.A. says it’s being investigated as an anti-semitic hate crime.
We’re still months away from the Supreme Court ruling on whether the Second Amendment confers a constitutional right to carry concealed but when it comes it won’t be a moment too soon. Two points to ponder in the meantime. One, as Yair Rosenberg says, every anti-semitic crime committed here or abroad by Israel’s critics ironically strengthens the case for Zionism. The less safe Jews are elsewhere, the more urgent the case for having a national safe haven becomes. Two, per Zachary Faria, how are we to square Ilhan Omar’s logic for being cautious in criticizing China with her own scathing rhetoric about Israel?
In pushing for a softer U.S. posture toward China, Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar said, “We need to distinguish between justified criticisms of the Chinese government’s human rights record and a Cold War mentality that uses China as a scapegoat for our own domestic problems and demonizes Chinese Americans.”
Harsh criticism that “scapegoats” China is irresponsible because it risks inspiring hate crimes against Asian-Americans. But harsh criticism of Israel is acceptable because … it doesn’t risk inspiring hate crimes against Jews? Obviously that’s not the case. If Omar doesn’t need to temper her criticism of Israel for the sake of protecting Jewish Americans, why should China hawks restrain themselves in their criticism of Beijing, a gross human-rights violator engaged in actual genocide in Xinjiang, for fear of what crazies might do to Asian-Americans?
“It turns out, if you ignore all evidence, turn Israel into the villain in your morality play, and insist that Americans have a ‘responsibility’ to do something about Israel, the thing that they will do is beat up American Jews, throw rocks through the windows of American synagogues, and harass Jews who try to speak up on social media,” writes Seffi Kogen today, singling out another Squad member, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, for her silence about what’s happening in her hometown. If you’re going to accuse Israel of being an apartheid state and smear the IDF for “targeting” hospitals and schools, go figure that some people might feel inspired to take direct action against the enemy. The left has never had difficulty finding incitement to violence in right-wing rhetoric, but In the case of Israel, they can’t smell their own sh*t.
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