According to the NYPD, there has been an alarming 135 percent spike in hate crimes against Jewish and Muslim New Yorkers since Hamas terrorist attacks last month.
Although hate crimes are down about 9 percent in New York this year, there were 101 hate crimes in the month of October — down from 43 in September and 45 in October 2022, police said Wednesday.
The majority of hate crimes (69) were against Jews, while anti-Semitic hate crimes have increased by 331 percent since September and 214 percent since October last year.
There have also been eight hate crimes against Muslim New Yorkers — an increase of 700 percent since September and 800 percent since October 2022, when there were zero.
The spike in hate crimes came after war broke out between Hamas and Israel following the terror group’s horrific attacks on civilians on October 7, with several protests in the city turning violent.
According to the NYPD, there has been an alarming 135 percent spike in hate crimes against Jewish and Muslim New Yorkers since Hamas terrorist attacks last month.
The majority of hate crimes (69) were against Jews, while anti-Semitic hate crimes have increased by 331 percent since September
There have also been eight hate crimes against Muslim New Yorkers — a 700 percent increase since September
Most hate crimes involve graffiti, criminal mischief and serious intimidation.
Swastikas have been painted on iconic Jewish delis, and social media comments from bankers, professors and even doctors have led to them losing their jobs.
Last month, journalist Bari Weiss shared anti-Semitic graffiti left outside the Free Press offices in New York.
NYPD Detective Chief Joseph Kenny said, “Almost bordering on free speech, actually, with people yelling back and forth at each other until it takes a strange turn.”
Last month, journalist Bari Weiss shared anti-Semitic graffiti left outside the Free Press offices in New York.
“We feel it 100 percent,” Bob Moskovitz, executive coordinator of the Flatbush Shomrim Safety Patrol in Brooklyn, told the New York Daily News.
Last month, journalist Bari Weiss shared anti-Semitic graffiti left outside the Free Press offices in New York
“Our hotline, which the community uses to report incidents, has probably increased by 300% in the last month and a half. The phone just doesn’t stop.’
The Shomrim Patrol received nearly 1,600 calls in October; their normal volume is about 500 per month.
Moskovitz said most of the calls came from Jewish institutions such as synagogues and yeshivas.
Mayor Eric Adams said of the spike in hate crimes, “Hate has no place in our city. Over the past month, I have repeatedly spoken to Jewish leaders and heard them express the fear of wearing a yarmulke.
“And while we’ve seen fewer hate crimes across the city this year, our Jewish neighbors are increasingly being targeted based solely on their faith. That is unacceptable, and that is why the NYPD is expanding funding to synagogues, houses of worship and key sites in communities across the city – to ensure they are safe and that our city remains a place of peace.”
A pro-Palestinian protester was filmed burning the Israeli flag as demonstrators on both sides of the divide gathered in New York City’s Washington Square Park.
Last month, pro-Palestinian protesters marched into Manhattan and took over Union Square, with one man heard chanting “long live Hamas” while others placed “Zionists are terrorists” stickers over Starbucks stores and the statue of George Washington.
The ‘Flood Brooklyn for Palestine’ protest drew thousands of demonstrators holding up signs reading ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘Zionism is Terrorism’. Protesters also defaced the exterior of the franchise, using spray paint to spray paint the words “Free Gaza” on the store.
They shut down the Brooklyn Bridge, with some climbing the monument, earlier in the evening before heading to Union Square in the heart of the city.
The protests come after an explosion at a Gaza hospital that Hamas said killed at least 500 people.
The attack sparked global outrage, with Palestine blaming Israel and Israeli officials saying it was a misfire from Gaza.
Protests broke out across the Middle East over the attack. The US was no different, as Israel and Palestine supporters both headed to Washington Square Park.
The huge crowd eventually came face to face with the pro-Israel supporters. Other than the flag burning, the event appeared peaceful, but the NYPD attempted to create separation between the groups, according to NBC New York.
According to CBS New York, the NYPD Intel Division says it is monitoring social media posts for possible threats.
Meanwhile, thefts in New York City are up 64 percent, with the Council on Criminal Justice saying that while shoplifting in New York has fallen slightly in the first half of 2023, the figure remains high at more than 90,000 incidents through 5 November, according to the city’s crime statistics.
Shoplifting remains a major crisis in America’s two largest cities, as thefts have increased by 64 percent in New York City and 61 percent in Los Angeles over the past four years
The Council on Criminal Justice said that while shoplifting in New York dropped slightly in the first half of 2023, the number is still high with more than 90,000 incidents through Nov. 5, according to the city’s crime statistics.
The Criminal Justice Council offered several possible explanations, including an increase in bail reform laws and a higher percentage of stores reporting shoplifting.
However, they say the numbers in New York — home to a much-debated bail reform law — do not reflect those at the time the law was passed.
“Much better data from law enforcement and retail data is needed to help strengthen our understanding of shoplifting trends,” Lopez added.
‘For the time being, it is unclear whether the increase is the result of increased shoplifting, increased reports from companies to the police, or a combination of both.’
Retail thefts remain a major problem in major cities, with many major retail chains responding by closing stores.
In September, Target announced it would close locations in New York City, Seattle, San Francisco and Portland because “theft and organized retail crime threaten the safety of our team and our guests.”