Jewish faith attacked as Israel warns words fuel violence, while Palestinian-aligned rhetoric spreads hate globally.
The Consulate General of Israel in New York sharply condemned the antisemitic assault on a rabbi in Queens, calling the timing—International Holocaust Remembrance Day—a chilling reminder that Jew-hatred is not history, but a present and growing threat.
Israel’s Consul General, Ofir Akunis, warned that policies and rhetoric legitimizing the BDS movement are not abstract politics; they have real-world consequences. When anti-Israel demonization is mainstreamed, it emboldens attackers, normalizes slurs, and lowers the barrier to violence against Jews in the street.
A 32-year-old suspect was arrested after allegedly shouting a crude antisemitic slur and punching the rabbi in the face and chest, knocking him to the ground. Prosecutors charged the suspect with assault as a hate crime and aggravated harassment—offenses that could bring years in prison.
Local leaders condemned the attack. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the assault revealed a painful truth: antisemitism is a present danger that demands action, not platitudes. Solidarity, however, must translate into policy—clear rejection of incitement, firm law enforcement, and zero tolerance for movements that excuse or launder hatred under the banner of “activism.”
The backdrop is stark. Since October 7, antisemitic incidents in New York have surged. Official data shows Jews are targeted in a majority of reported hate crimes. Swastikas defaced Jewish schools on election day. Weeks later, sidewalks were scrawled with calls to harm Jews. Children’s playgrounds were vandalized with Nazi symbols.
These are not isolated acts; they are symptoms. When anti-Israel campaigns echo slogans that dehumanize Jews or celebrate terror, they metastasize into street-level violence. Israel’s warning is clear and consistent: rhetoric that excuses jihadist violence abroad inevitably endangers Jewish lives at home.
“Never Again” is not a ceremony—it is a standard. Remembrance without resistance to contemporary antisemitism is empty. Protecting Jewish communities requires confronting incitement decisively, rejecting BDS normalization, and affirming Israel’s right to defend Jews everywhere from terror and hate.
