(TJV NEWS) An Israeli educator was violently assaulted in midtown Manhattan this week in what authorities believe was a hate crime targeting Jews — a chilling episode that comes as tensions rise over mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s controversial remarks on “Islamophobia.”

As Ynet News reported, Rami Glickstein, 58, an Israeli educator and lecturer, was attacked Monday evening while walking toward the well-known kosher restaurant Mr. Broadway on 38th Street. A man approached, pointed at his kippah, and demanded, “Tell me about your religion.” When Glickstein did not respond, the assailant snatched the kippah off his head, spat on it, and punched him in the face as he bent down to retrieve it.

Jewish bystanders shouted at the attacker and called police as Glickstein stumbled into the restaurant, bleeding from his injuries. He was later hospitalized, and the suspect remains at large. “My Israeli pride was hurt,” Glickstein told Ynet News. “It pains me that I couldn’t fight back.”

The assault comes amid a wave of antisemitic attacks across New York since the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attack. Earlier this year, Brooklyn resident Vincent Sumpter received a five-year sentence for stabbing Israeli yeshiva student Yechiel Michel Dobruskin while shouting “Free Palestine.” In July, a group of men stormed a kosher restaurant in Queens, yelling “We’re going to kill all the Jews,” and hospitalized two diners.

Mamdani’s “aunt” tale sparks scrutiny

While the Jewish community reels from the surge in hate crimes, mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani has drawn fire for remarks made during a recent press conference on “Islamophobia.” Mamdani claimed that after 9/11, his “aunt” stopped riding the subway because she “did not feel safe in her hijab.”

However, The New York Post later revealed that the woman Mamdani described was not his biological aunt but his father’s cousin, who lived in Tanzania during 9/11 — a revelation that triggered accusations of embellishment. Mamdani later clarified that he had used the word “aunt” in a cultural sense, calling the criticism “racist and baseless.”

During the press event, Mamdani condemned anti-Muslim bias in New York and accused his opponents of exploiting Islamophobia for political gain. But critics say his rhetoric ignores the reality that Jewish New Yorkers remain far more frequent victims of hate crimes — and warn that his history of sharp criticism toward Israel raises alarm about how his administration might handle religious tensions if he wins the mayoralty next week.

Data shows antisemitism far outpaces anti-Muslim hate

According to NYPD data and the New York State Comptroller’s Office, antisemitic hate crimes continue to vastly exceed anti-Muslim incidents across the city and state:

• In 2024, the NYPD recorded 345 antisemitic attacks, making up over half of all hate crimes citywide.

• In one recent tracking week, the NYPD logged 20 antisemitic incidents versus three anti-Muslim.

• The State Comptroller’s 2023 report found that Jewish victims represented 88 percent of all religion-based hate crimes statewide, the highest share ever recorded.

Though anti-Muslim attacks have risen, the data shows that Jews remain by far the most targeted religious group in New York, with antisemitic assaults and vandalism reported in nearly every borough.

Anxiety rising ahead of election

The assault on Rami Glickstein and the ongoing wave of antisemitic violence have amplified anxiety within New York’s Jewish community, already uneasy about the political tone surrounding the mayoral race.

With Zohran Mamdani leading polls heading into next week’s vote, many fear that his rhetoric — paired with a record of hostility toward Israel — could deepen divisions and embolden extremists.

For Glickstein and others like him, the attack in midtown Manhattan was more than a random act of hate — it was a warning sign. “This isn’t just about one man punching me,” he told Ynet News. “It’s about a city where being visibly Jewish feels dangerous again.”