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Anger grows in New York after latest attack on a Jewish man in Brooklyn

A rally is to be held outside city hall this weekend calling for the authorities to take action

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The latest attack on a Strictly Orthodox man in Brooklyn has led to growing anger within New York’s Jewish community at the apparent inability of city authorities to confront and fight it.  

Video footage of the incident, which took place on Tuesday night, shows a Chasidic man being assaulted and chased by four men in Williamsburg, a neighbourhood with a large frum community.

The Anti Defamation League (ADL), America’s foremost antisemitism watchdog, has offered a reward of up to $10,000 (£8,000) for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the assailants.

Evan Bernstein, the branch’s regional director, described the video footage as incredibly disturbing.

“This incident comes at a time when visibly observant Jewish individuals are unable to walk the streets of Brooklyn without feeling fearful that they may be assaulted or attacked because of their religion or faith,” he said.

“This is completely unacceptable and contrary to everything we stand for as New Yorkers. The violence must stop now.”

The Chasidic man was told to give the men "everything you have", police said. His phone was thrown on the ground and he was treated for light injuries to the face and arm.

A rally will be taking place outside New York’s city hall on Sunday, which organisers have said will be “calling on city and national leaders to call out antisemitism by name and get serious about fighting it before more people are attacked or killed.”

Dov Hikind, a former New York assemblyman, urged people to attend the event in City Hall Park, Lower Manhattan, saying that “antisemitism is not a Jewish problem. It’s a society problem.

“It’s not about politics or religion. We need liberals, conservatives, Christians, Muslims, Atheists, all faiths to come out and unite with us in this fight.”

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