Four Jewish elected officials in New York have requested that New York Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo deploy the National Guard to help stop the surge of anti-Semitic attacks in New York.
The letter was penned by four Democrats: New York State Senator Simcha Felder, New York State Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein, New York City Councilman Chaim Deutsch, and New York City Councilman Kalman Yeger.
“As you know, anti-Semitic hate crimes have grown to frighteningly high numbers of the past several months. During the past several days in particular, identifiably Orthodox Jews in and around areas we represent have been targeted with a rash of violence unseen in modern history,” the officials write. “Orthodox Jews are being regularly assaulted, menaced, stabbed and murdered in increasing numbers. This has been appropriately described as a ‘slow-rolling pogrom.'”
“We are writing to ask that you declare a state of emergency and that you deploy the New York State Police and the New York National Guard to visibly patrol and protect Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods throughout our state,” the letter continues. “In addition, we are asking that you appoint a special prosecutor for purposes of investigating and prosecuting perpetrators of anti-Semitic violence, and that the special prosecutor immediately assume control of cases already under the jurisdiction of local district attorneys.”
“Simply stated, it is no longer safe to be identifiably Orthodox in the State of New York. We cannot shop, walk down a street, send our children to school, or even worship in peace,” the letter concludes. “We implore you to take the immediate action as you are empowered to do, and send a clear message that the State of New York will protect its people.”
This morning @NYSenatorFelder, Assemblyman @SEichenstein, Councilman @ChaimDeutsch and I sent this letter to @NYGovCuomo.
We're asking for the State Police and NY National Guard to be deployed to our neighborhoods, and for a special prosecutor to prosecute antisemitic violence. pic.twitter.com/EVh8BjwpjT— Kalman Yeger (@KalmanYeger) December 29, 2019
The letter comes after approximately 10 anti-Semitic attacks were carried out in New York, mostly in and around New York City, over the past several days. Many anti-Semitic attacks that have occurred in the city have not received significant media coverage, some political commentators suggesting that the lack of coverage is a result of the perpetrators often not fitting the left-wing media narrative.
CNN lists a few of the recent attacks:
- A 65-year-old man was punched and kicked near Manhattan by an assailant yelling, “F**k you, Jew.”
- A group of teens attacked two young Jewish boys, striking them from behind.
- A group of people yelled anti-Semitic slurs and threw a drink at a 25-year-old Jewish man in Brooklyn.
- A group of people punched a 56-year-old Jewish man.
- A Jewish man, who was dressed in religious clothing, was punched in the face.
- A woman attacked a Jewish woman in front of her child.
- A woman, Tiffany Harris, allegedly attacked multiple Jewish women on Friday and was arrested. Harris was later released on bond and was arrested again over the weekend for allegedly committing another attack on Sunday.
- A man walked into the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters and allegedly threatened to murder people in the facility.
The most significant anti-Semitic attack from over the last week happened on Saturday night when a man armed with a machete stabbed at least five people at a rabbi’s home in the New York City suburb of Monsey.
Related: CNN’s Tapper On NYC Anti-Semitic Attacks: Identity Of Attackers Don’t Fit ‘Political Narrative’