Mamdani slow to respond to suspected antisemitic stabbing as Hochul, other NY officials condemn attack
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani remained silent for serveal hours on what officials described as an antisemitic stabbing in New York City on Thursday afternoon, choosing to instead post about his millionaire housing tax initiative — even as the attack drew attention from other state officials.
"I have been briefed on today’s horrifying stabbings on the Upper West Side, where an Asian man and a Jewish man were attacked. According to witness and victim statements, the perpetrator yelled "Allahu Akbar" during both attacks. I am relieved that both victims are in stable condition," Mamdani wrote in a statement.
"The NYPD responded immediately and arrested Raul Morales in connection with both assaults—and I am grateful to the officers for their swift response."
The delayed response from Mamdani played into the fears of some observers that his critical stances towards Israel, views shared by many progressives, are feeding into hesitations about supporting Jewish communities in the U.S.
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Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, another member of the New York City Council, more pointedly laid blame with Mamdani.
"According to credible reports I received, the attacker was yelling ‘Allahu Akbar’ during his attempted murder. I pray for the speedy recovery of the victims. [Mamdani,] you got blood on your hands," she wrote.
Authorities reported that a 57-year-old man was reportedly attacked near West 84th Street and Central Park West just after 1:30 p.m. local time. He was found conscious and alert with a stab wound to his back. He was taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
Investigators later found another 50-year-old man nearby with a stab wound to his torso. He was also conscious and alert and was taken to a nearby hospital.
City officials described the violence as an "antisemitic stabbing," though police have not yet identified a motive or said whether the attacks are being investigated as a hate crime.
Raul Morales, the suspect, is in custody, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) told Fox News Digital.
Almost immediately, the incident drew alarm and condemnation from observers, expressing dismay at another instance of violence against the Jewish community in New York City.
"Disgusted by what appears to be another senseless attack on New Yorkers simply because they’re Jewish," New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a post to X.
"While we await additional details to be confirmed, we know that what is happening in our city is abhorrent. The fear in the Jewish community is real. Every New Yorker deserves to feel safe in their neighborhood, regardless of their faith or identity."
"While we await additional details to be confirmed, we know that what is happening in our city is abhorrent. The fear in the Jewish community is real. Every New Yorker deserves to feel safe in their neighborhood, regardless of their faith or identity," Julie Menin, speaker of the New York City Council, wrote in a post to X
"A man yelling 'allahu akbar' stabbed a man in a kippah at 86th and Amsterdam Avenue on the Upper West Side at 1:30 pm today, then likely stabbed someone else at 84th and Central Park West. Has apparently been caught. On the Jewish day of mourning. In Zohran Mamdani's city," another observer wrote.
Even as the incident captured attention online, Mamdani remained notably silent on the attack. Instead, he made a post on his recent housing tax plan, a strategy to dissuade wealthy New Yorkers from purchasing and keeping an outsized number of residences.
"If you have a second home in New York City worth more than $5M, check your mailbox when you’re back in the five boroughs — because you've got mail. Today, we sent notification letters to property owners, letting them know that our new pied-à-terre tax is coming soon," Mamdani wrote at 3:55, almost two and a half hours after the attack.
In the first quarter of 2026, the New York Police Department has received 146 hate crime complaints and made 71 arrests, according to police data — an uptick from 137 complaints and 51 arrests in the first quarter of 2025.
Mamdani’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether factors behind the scenes had caused a delay in response.