Rudy Giuliani and Bill de Blasio exchanged jabs about anti-Semitism in the wake of the brutal machete attack that took place over the weekend.
On Saturday, a man attacked a Hanukkah celebration in the home of a Hasidic rabbi in New York. The assault was the 13th anti-Semitic attack in New York in the past few weeks, sparking a conversation about what needs to be done to stop the hateful bloodshed.
Giuliani, 75, took the first swing after the attack and condemned de Blasio’s leadership in the wake of the continued attacks. He criticized the current mayor’s decision to part ways with the policies Giuliani implemented as mayor, including “broken windows theory,” which required strict enforcement of minor crimes in order to create bottom-up compliance to stop severe crimes like homicide. The policy has been criticized by some because it can lead to distrust of law enforcement for cracking down on less serious crimes.
He tweeted, “Possibly the worst Mayor in NYC, de Blasio, has watched anti-semitism rapidly metastasize, like a cancer, & is too unconcerned or lazy to ‘nip it in the bud.’ Otherwise called Broken windows theory, which should be brought back. A COWARD in that he has yet to condemn anti-semities in his own party who support BDS & similar movements, who’s main objective is to destroy the Jewish Homeland.”
[Opinion: Our culture of apathy has normalized anti-Semitism]
…to condemn anti-semities in his own party who support BDS & similar movements, who’s main objective is to destroy the Jewish Homeland.
— Rudy Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) December 30, 2019
De Blasio, 58, launched a counter punch Monday morning and accused Giuliani of anti-Semitism for his remarks about Democratic donor George Soros. The president’s attorney claimed that he was “more of a Jew” than Soros, a Holocaust survivor.
The mayor wrote, “Last night while New Yorkers came together in solidarity with the Jewish community, Rudy was on Twitter trying to play the victim and make it about himself. Last week he questioned the Judaism of a Holocaust survivor. If you’re sensing a pattern, you’re not alone.”
Last night while New Yorkers came together in solidarity with the Jewish community, Rudy was on Twitter trying to play the victim and make it about himself.
Last week he questioned the Judaism of a Holocaust survivor.
If you’re sensing a pattern, you’re not alone. https://t.co/fpEoRwPQUL
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) December 30, 2019
The Hanukkah attack left five hospitalized, including two in severe condition. Gov. Andrew Cuomo called the attack an act of domestic terrorism. Authorities arrested 37-year-old Grafton Thomas following the attack. He is being held on $5 million bail after being charged with five counts of attempted murder and one count of burglary.
