New York Hanukkah Stabbing Suspect Pleads Not Guilty

On Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, during 10 p.m. ET, 37-year-old Grafton Thomas entered an Orthodox Jewish village stabbing people withdrawal 5 wounded. The village was celebrating Hanukkah and a rabbi’s home in New York.

Thomas was arraigned on 5 depends of attempted murder and one count of thievery when he seemed in justice on Sunday. He pled not guilty and his bail was set during $5 million, according to a Associated Press.

It was reported that Thomas has “a prolonged story of mental illness and hospitalizations,” according to a family matter expelled by his lawyer.

“He has no famous story of anti-Semitism and was lifted in a home with embraced and reputable all religions and races. He is not a member of any loathing groups,” profession Michael Sussman pronounced in a matter emailed to a Mid Hudson News on Sunday evening.

Sussman pronounced he skeleton to find an “immediate mental health evaluation” for Thomas. “We trust a actions of that he was accused, if committed by him, tragically simulate surpassing mental illness for that Grafton has perceived episodic diagnosis before being released.”

His profession reported that Thomas has no rapist philosophy or “history of aroused acts,” however, a confidence central pronounced Thomas has been arrested 7 times given 2001. One of those arrests was for assaulting a military horse.

The Saturday conflict in Monsey, a suburb of New York City, was a 13th anti-Semitic occurrence in 3 weeks in New York. Earlier in December, 4 people were fatally shot in an conflict on a Jersey City kosher grocery store. The conflict was encouraged by loathing of Jews and law enforcement.

New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D), labeled a waylay and act of domestic terrorism and destined a Hate Crimes Task Force of New York to investigate. He called for stronger punishments for mass attacks encouraged by loathing of an temperament group.

Members of Congress and President Donald Trump were joined in condemning anti-Semitism after a attack. However, some Democrats settled that they believed Trump should take a some-more forceful open position and blamed him for stoking bigotry.

Trump tweeted on Sunday afternoon: “The anti-Semitic conflict in Money, New York, on a 7th night of Hanukkah final night is horrific. We contingency all come together to fight, confront, and exterminate a immorality flay of anti-Semitism.”

The stabbing Saturday shook a county where a third of a race is Jewish and officials pronounced anti-Semitism has risen a past few years where augmenting numbers of Orthodox Jews have done their home.

Rockland County authority Aaron Wieder said, “People in a Orthodox village are joining dots and are honestly fearful of a escalation.”

According to Wieder, anti-Semitism in a area began to arise 10 years ago and has increasing noticeably over a final 5 years. More Orthodox Jews have changed into a village and other residents have been derisive them anonymously online. Additionally, they have scratched swastikas onto a unwashed window of a outpost and a “for sale” pointer in front of an area home. An announcement for a county’s Republican Party indicted Wieder of “plotting a takover” that threatens “our approach of life.”

In November, a 30-year-old rabbi reported that dual people approached him from behind while he was on a isolated travel in Monsey and kick him for several minutes. Police Chief Brad Weidel pronounced there was no justification a rabbi was targeted for his religion, however, there are rising concerns in a Orthodox community.

By Jeanette Vietti

Sources:

Washington Post: Hanukkah stabbing think has ‘history of mental illness’ and no ties to loathing groups, family says
NPR: Hanukkah Stabbing Suspect Appears To Have Been Driven By Anti-Semitism, FBI Says
OPB: Hanukkah Stabbing Suspect Has Mental Health Past, No Link To Hate Groups, Family Says

Image Courtesy of Yair Aronshtam’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License

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