United States: Anti-Semitic attack in New York foiled in November – I24NEWS

In New York City, home to the largest Jewish community in the world outside of Israel, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced that a “terrorist attack on the Jewish community” had been foiled and two youths had been indicted. Christopher Brown and Matthew Mahrer, 20, were arrested in November at Penn Station in Manhattan carrying or keeping at home a firearm, ammunition, a knife, a swastika armband and a ski mask.

Mr Brown was notably charged with a “terrorist crime” and “terrorist threat” after posting threatening messages on Twitter such as “I’m going to ask a priest if I should get married or shoot up a synagogue and die.” “This time I really will,” he wrote again, according to New York prosecutors.

“A horrific tragedy was averted through diligence, hard work and coordination between my departments and our local, state and federal law enforcement partners,” said Attorney Bragg, quoted in a news release.

According to the American organization for the fight against anti-Semitism Anti Defamation League, the United States recorded a record number of 2,717 anti-Semitic acts (assaults, verbal attacks, property damage, etc.) in 2021, an increase of 34% compared to one year. And according to a recent report by the American Jewish Committee (AJC), one of America’s oldest Jewish advocacy organizations, “39 percent of American Jews changed their behavior out of fear of anti-Semitism, including adopting measures to obscure their Jewish identity, while “24% reported being subjected to anti-Semitism.”