Political figures and Hollywood celebrities are sharing messages of support following the stabbing attack at a synagogue in Rockland County, near New York City, on Saturday evening.
Five people were celebrating Hanukkah at a Hasidic rabbi’s house in Monsey when they were stabbed by a suspect who burst into the party wielding a knife as long as “a broomstick,” authorities and witnesses said.
The suspect, Grafton Thomas, 37, fled the scene but was apprehended by police in Harlem.
The next day, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi expressed her condolences, tweeting, “Heartbroken and deeply disturbed by the stabbing in Monsey and the many recent anti-Semitic attacks in the NY metro area, especially during this holiday season. We must condemn and confront anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry and hate wherever & whenever we see them.”
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who spoke at a press conference, also tweeted, “I am horrified by the stabbing of multiple people at a synagogue in Rockland County tonight. We have zero tolerance for anti-Semitism in NY and we will hold the attacker accountable to the fullest extent of the law. NY stands with the Jewish community.”
Hillary Clinton also reacted to the tragedy on Twitter, writing, “I’m sending my prayers to the families and the community affected by last night’s horrific attack on a rabbi’s home in Monsey. We must all stand shoulder to shoulder to fight anti-Semitism and demand that our elected leaders do the same.”
