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“This attack is a direct result of the daily incitement against Jews around the world, including here in the United States.”
By United with Israel Staff
Rami Glickstein, a 58-year-old Israeli educator and lecturer in the Israel Defense Forces, was violently attacked in Manhattan on Monday while walking to a kosher restaurant on 38th Street.
According to reports, a man approached Glickstein, pointed at his kippah, and demanded, “Tell me about your religion.” When Glickstein did not respond, the assailant snatched the kippah from his head, threw it to the ground, and spat on it. As Glickstein bent to retrieve it, the attacker punched him in the face.
“My Israeli pride was hurt,” Glickstein said. “It pains me that I couldn’t fight back, and I regret that deeply.”
Witnesses immediately called for help, and emergency services responded. The attacker fled the scene before police could apprehend him, and local authorities continue to investigate.
Israel’s consul general in New York, Ofir Akunis, contacted Glickstein and his wife, Rivi, offering support and affirming the consulate’s assistance.
“This attack is a direct result of the daily incitement against Jews around the world, including here in the United States,” Akunis said. He added that false narratives, calls for violence, and blood libels such as those linked to Gaza fuel attacks on Jewish individuals, and that American leaders must condemn these actions immediately.
Antisemitic incidents in New York have increased sharply in recent years, particularly since the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, heightening concerns for the city’s Jewish community.
The attack also intersects with ongoing political concerns. During the October 22 New York City mayoral debate, Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani sought to reassure Jewish voters about their safety.
Opponent Andrew Cuomo noted that more than 650 rabbis had signed a letter warning that Mamdani’s positions and rhetoric, including his past defense of the “globalize the Intifada” slogan, endangered Jewish communities.
The letter has since grown to more than 1,000 signatures, reflecting widespread concern across the country about the threat posed by such rhetoric.
Glickstein, who continues to serve in educational roles for the IDF, is yet another vivid example of the increased dangers facing Jews in America and around the world.
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