NYC community leaders denounce hate after Upper West Side stabbing, criticize Mamdani's anti-Israel rhetoric

Representatives of New York City's Jewish, Muslim and Asian communities came together Friday to denounce hate in the wake of Thursday's double stabbing on the Upper West Side.

Two strangers were stabbed just blocks apart Thursday afternoon. A 57-year-old Asian man was stabbed in the back with a knife around 1:30 p.m. near West 84th Street and Central Park West. Then, a 50-year-old Jewish man was stabbed at the corner of 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.

The suspect allegedly yelled "Allahu Akbar" during both attacks, according to victim and witness statements.

Raul Morales, 51, has been charged with attempted murder as a hate crime and assault as a hate crime for the attack on the Jewish man, and attempted murder and assault but not as a hate crime for the attack on the Asian man.

Both victims were hospitalized and are expected to survive. 

"We have to bring the temperatures down"

City, state and faith leaders addressed the attack Friday morning.

"Please, I request everyone and all the interfaith community to always stand together. Hate against one of us is against all of us," said Mohammad Razvi, with the Council of Peoples Organization.

"We cannot allow anyone to divide us by race, religion, or [ethnicity]. We must speak out against antisemitism, anti-Asian hate," Councilwoman Susan Zhuang said.

"We have a right like every other community in this city. Like the Asian-American community, like the African-American community, like the Latino community. We have a right to live without fear," City Comptroller Mark Levine said.   

Julie Menin, who is the city's first Jewish council speaker, touched on the legislation being created to combat antisemitism.

"The fact that we even have to do this kind of legislation is unacceptable. We cannot normalize what is happening in our city. We have to bring the temperatures down," she said.

"If a Jew can't feel safe walking home from shul in broad daylight on a Thursday afternoon on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, then something has gone profoundly wrong, not only for the Jewish community, but for our city," Rabbi Yosie Levine said.

Leaders call for Mamdani to stop campaign against Israel

Leaders also called on Mayor Zohran Mamdani to lower the temperature of his anti-Israel rhetoric.

UJA-Federation of New York CEO Eric Goldstein pointed to Mamdani's months-long crusade against Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The mayor recently posted a social media video calling for Netanyahu's arrest, calling him a war criminal.   

"His video message about the prime minister was political grandstanding," Goldstein said. "Shame on him for doing this for perceived political benefit when it has real-world consequence for the Jews of New York. He must stop. He must stop."

Goldstein said Mamdani's words have contributed to a climate of hate in New York City.

"We want the mayor to stop demonizing the only Jewish state, using the most vilifying rhetoric, focused solely on the only Jewish state and the supporters of it. Using language like 'monstrous,' using the most horrible, difficult language that inflames, that terrorizes, that causes people to do terrible things," he said. 

"No elected official is responsible for every act of hate, but every leader is responsible for helping shape the climate in which we all live," Jewish Community Relations Council CEO Mark Treyger said.

"Whenever facts unfold about the motivations of the attacker, we already have seen more than enough tragedy to know that overheated rhetoric in the political arena can lead to antisemitic violence," Manhattan Assemblyman Micah Lasher said. "All of us in positions of power have a responsibility to use our voices to create unity and not division, to promote calm and not anger."

Mamdani did not address his campaign to arrest Netanyahu, but he did decry hate.

"There's no tolerance for antisemitism or hatred of any kind in this city. This is a city that believes in the beauty and the breadth of all of its five boroughs and everyone who calls it home," he said. "And when anyone is perpetrating that kind of a bigotry, that kind of a hatred, they will be held fully accountable in this city."

What we know about the suspect

Police said Morales was found barricaded inside an apartment building after the attack. He eventually surrendered to officers before being taken into custody around 2:45 p.m. Thursday.

Police said there is no known connection between Morales and either of the victims. Police sources told CBS News New York that the suspect has several prior arrests, including at least two drug-related cases.   

Gov. Kathy Hochul released a statement on social media Thursday saying she was "disgusted" by the attack.

"The strength of New York has always been our ability to live together across every faith and background. Anyone who tries to tear that apart will be met with the full force of the law. New York will stand with our Jewish community today, tomorrow, and always," she stated.