An assemblyman for the state of New York is now calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to start a civil rights investigation into New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, after a pair of stabbings took place on Manhattan’s Upper West Side that are now being looked into as potential hate crimes.
New York State Assemblyman Michael Novakhov, who is the representative for District 45 in Brooklyn, issued a call for action during an End Jew Hatred rally that took place in New York City. “If the DOJ stepped in to protect Jewish students at Columbia, it must now step in to protect Jewish New Yorkers,” Novakhov stated in a post shared on Instagram.
The post also included an announcement that referenced an investigation into alleged antisemitism taking place at the university. Novakhov also revealed that he was sending the DOJ a formal letter to request an investigation into the state, New York City, “and most importantly to investigate Mamdani’s hatred against the Jewish population of New York City and New York State.”
According to information gleaned from a report by Fox News, the victims in the stabbing attacks were identified as Chok Sung, 57, and Moshe Grunhaus, 50. New York Attorney General Letitia James commented on the incidents, revealing that both victims are currently in stable condition. Local law enforcement authorities also identified the suspect as Raul Morales, 51, who is said to have yelled “Allahu Akbar” while attacking the two men.
The Upper West Side of Manhattan is well-known for having a large Jewish population. The day the incident took place on was Tisha B’Av, which is a day when Jews fast in mourning for the destruction of both the First and Second Temples located in Jerusalem. “Jewish New Yorkers should not have to hide their Stars of David, tuck away their kippahs, or fear walking their own streets,” Novakhov continued in his post.
“The Jewish community deserves answers. No one is above the law,” he added. Several Jewish leaders have come out in recent weeks to condemn comments made by Mayor Mamdani about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Democratic socialist referred to the prime minister as a “war criminal” and “the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people.”
Mamdani then went on to say that while City Hall does not have the authority, legally speaking, to arrest Netanyahu, he believes the Israeli prime minister should be held accountable under the International Criminal Court’s warrant. The problem with that is the ICC does not have any jurisdiction withing the United States, due to the U.S. not being a member of the international body.
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Even more frightening for many Jewish residents of New York City is that three other members of the Democratic Socialists of America have managed to defeat incumbent Democrats for important seats on the city’s government. All three of these individuals were endorsed by Mamdani and share many of his views on Israel.