Five people were wounded after an attacker entered the home of a New York rabbi wielding a machete.
The Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council co-founder Yossi Gestetner said that the incident occurred at around 9.50pm on Saturday (28 December), while many Jewish people had gathered in their rabbi’s home for a celebration of Hannukah.
The rabbi’s house is situated in Monsey, Rockland County, an area known for its high population of Orthodox Jews.
Speaking to local media, Gestetner said: “Someone came in, face covered with a scarf, started stabbing people. Five people in total were stabbed, two of them were taken from the scene in critical condition.
“One of the rabbi’s children was also stabbed.”
It is believe that the suspect fled the scene, but an arrest was later made in relation to the crime.
Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo condemned the attack on Twitter, saying: “I am horrified by the stabbing of multiple people at a synagogue in Rockland County tonight.
“We have zero tolerance for anti-Semitism in NY and we will hold the attacker accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
“NY stands with the Jewish community.”
OJPAC co-founder @YossiGestetner alongside @HikindDov of @AmericansAA listing steps that gov and LE can take to tackle the rise in attacks: 1) Full responses after an attack, 2) long term stepped up security and 3) publicizing the consequences the attackers faced for those acts. pic.twitter.com/mwzX83OdoQ
— OJPAC (Hudson Valley Account) (@OJPACHV) December 29, 2019
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