Story perspectives

Arrest After Upper West Side Stabbings; Mayor Pledges Hate-Crime Funding

7/25/2026

Summary

Story summary

Raul Morales was arrested after stabbing Chok Sung, 57, and Moshe Grunhaus, 50, on the Upper West Side.
Police said Morales shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the attacks and noted mental health may have been a factor.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani denounced antisemitism, pledged accountability, and announced extra funding for the hate-crime prevention office.
UJA-Federation CEO Eric Goldstein and City Council Speaker Julie Menin blamed Mamdani’s anti-Israel rhetoric for inflaming hostility.

History

Historical Context

The 1991 Crown Heights riot erupted after a car in the Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson motorcade struck two Guyanese children, sparking three days of violence that left two dead, $1 million in damage and 129 arrests. The unrest shaped New York’s 1993 mayoral race, pitting Mayor David Dinkins against Rudy Giuliani. Decades later, an Upper West Side stabbing revives those unresolved Black-Jewish tensions.

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Story summary

Raul Morales was arrested after stabbing Chok Sung, 57, and Moshe Grunhaus, 50, on the Upper West Side.
Police said Morales shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the attacks and noted mental health may have been a factor.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani denounced antisemitism, pledged accountability, and announced extra funding for the hate-crime prevention office.
UJA-Federation CEO Eric Goldstein and City Council Speaker Julie Menin blamed Mamdani’s anti-Israel rhetoric for inflaming hostility.

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