A Jewish 9-year-old boy was allegedly threatened with a knife as the suspected shouted “I will kill you, Jew,” in what is the latest antisemitic incident in New York City, according to the New York Post.
The Post reports:
The sickening scene unfolded at a playground at KIPP AMP Middle School and MS 354 Monday evening in Crown Heights, according to the NYPD and the victim’s mother, who said her daughter was also targeted in the attack.
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Police and sources said the man also screamed “Heil Hitler” at the boy, but Sundroy, who was at the park with her six children, said that was actually directed at her daughter.
During the attack, several people also shouted “Allahu Akbar” in front of the children, according to Sundroy and police sources.
Police are searching for one suspect and investigating the case as a “possible biased incident.” No arrests have been made at this time.
The incident comes as Crown Heights–a Brooklyn neighborhood with a significant Hasidic Jewish population and the location of Chabad-Lubavitch’s headquarters–is bracing for a pro-Palestinian protest in the area on Saturday, which falls on Shabbat (the Jewish day of rest).
“Jews should definitely avoid the area,” a source warned COLlive. “There’s no intel at this time in which direction the protest will head. Locals should definitely stay away from Eastern Parkway in that area.”
The protest–“Flood Brooklyn For Gaza”–is slated for 3:00 PM at the Brooklyn Museum in Crown Heights. The event will be held in support of Gaza in the wake of Hamas’s shocking terror attack on Israel, which left 1,300 dead. Additionally, over 100 Israelis were also kidnapped to Gaza — including women, children, and the elderly.
Chabad on Campus is holding an event in Crown Heights on Saturday, as well.
Police are reportedly beefing up security in the area over the weekend.
“We are aware of plans to hold a demonstration in front of the Brooklyn Museum on Shabbos at 3 p.m.,” Rabbi Yaacov Behrman of Jewish Future Alliance told COLlive.
Last week, a man was suspected of punching a woman in the face in a Manhattan subway station, declaring “You are Jewish” as the reason for the attack, according to law enforcement, the Post said.
