Dr Dvir Abramovich, Chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission, issued the following statement in the aftermath of the stabbing rampage at a Rabbi’s home in Monsey, NY, that took place during Hanukkah festivities. The intruder, armed with a machete, injured five people, two in critical condition with one of them stabbed at least six times. When arrested, the assailant was still covered in the blood of his victims
“The Jewish people are under attack as the epidemic of antisemitism surges and spreads. We condemn, in the strongest possible words, this brutal and horrific crime, the tenth incident in a week in the New York area. During this heartbreaking period, we express our solidarity with Monsey’s Jewish community, and pray for the full and speedy recovery of the victims. We should not have to say this in 2019, but Jews, whether in the United States or Australia, should be safe from violence whether praying in their synagogues, shopping at Kosher stores, walking the streets, or gathering in their homes in celebration. We join our brothers and sisters around the world in calling for the American government and law enforcement agencies to take all necessary measures to ensure that the Jewish community is protected from such wanton assaults, and implement effective policies that tackle the escalating rise in anti-Jewish hatred. We also call on all leaders to lock arms and denounce this virus of intolerance which is a threat to all democratic societies, and to say to all Jews, “You are not alone in this fight!”
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