Jewish Man Hit With Broken Furniture in Bed-Stuy

By Algemeiner

The New York Police Department is seeking a suspect seen on camera punching a Brooklyn Jewish man in the chest after making an antisemitic remark and then striking the victim in the back with a broken piece of furniture.

The attack is being investigated by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force, which said it took place on Monday in the Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn.

The suspect reportedly accosted the victim, who was wearing traditional Jewish garb, saying, “[expletive] Jew, why are you coming into my neighborhood?”

He then broke off a piece of furniture that was lying on the street before throwing it at the Jewish man and then fleeing, police said.

The NYPD released partial footage of the incident on Twitter:

Video from 7/5/21 assault. pic.twitter.com/rdBBfzF7be

— NYPD Hate Crimes (@NYPDHateCrimes) July 9, 2021

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo condemned the attack, and said he would direct the state’s own hate crimes task force to assist in the investigation.

“I am disgusted to learn of another attack against a member of our Jewish community — in broad daylight. This is antisemitism, plain and simple,” Cuomo said in a statement. “To the Jewish community of New York, we are with you. We will fight to ensure you can walk safely down the streets of our state anytime, anywhere. Hate will never win here.”

Scott Richman, the Anti-Defamation League’s regional director for New York and New Jersey, said the group was offering up to $5,000 for any information leading to the culprit’s arrest.

“We are alarmed and extremely concerned about this alleged antisemitic assault,” he said. “We are sending an unequivocal message that these hate-motivated acts of violence are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

Statistics recently released by the NYPD showed a 69% rise in antisemitic assaults since last year, with 113 incidents through June 27 of this year, versus 67 during the same period in 2020.

They also showed a 139% increase in hate crimes generally, including a fourfold rise in attacks targeting Asians.