After the conflict with Mamdani: New York Governor stands with the Jews - "I will send the police"

New York Governor Kathy Hochul pledged last night (Saturday) to increase protection for synagogues and Jewish communities in the state ahead of the High Holy Days, during remarks she made at the Sabbath prayer service at the Central Synagogue in Manhattan — about two weeks after a man broke into a prayer service at the site and attacked a congregant and a security guard.

"If you need more money, if you need more protection — I will send the New York State Police here. We will fortify this place not only now, but certainly ahead of the approaching High Holy Days."

The Governor added that as someone who heads the state where the largest Jewish population in the world outside of Israel resides, she feels a "special responsibility to use my voice and my platform to say: there is no place for hate in the state of New York." According to her, "an attack on one is an attack on all of us."

Hochul's words come against the backdrop of tension between her and New York City Council member Zohran Mamdani on issues concerning Israel and antisemitism. Just last week, when asked if Mamdani's anti-Israel rhetoric might cause discomfort among New York Jews, she called on him to focus more on running the city and less on Israel, and pledged that she would stand with all her might against antisemitism.

The location Hochul chose to deliver the remarks is particularly charged. About two weeks ago, a man broke into a Sabbath prayer service at the Central Synagogue, attacked a congregant and a security guard, and caused property damage. He was subsequently charged with hate crimes. Mamdani himself condemned the attack at the time, calling it "horrifying," and said that every New Yorker must be able to practice their religion without fear of violence.

Hochul also addressed the rise in antisemitism since the October 7 massacre and spoke at length about her decision to arrive in Israel immediately after the attack. According to her, as early as September 2023, three weeks before the massacre, she convened Jewish leaders and organizations to discuss the rise in antisemitism. After October 7, she said, "I had to be there," partly because denial of what had occurred had already begun: "I needed to be there so that I could be the one who returns and tells the truth."

The Governor described the difficult scenes she saw in Kfar Aza and said that in the years that have passed since, the situation has only worsened: "The attacks, the fear, the anxiety, the cruelty of the words that are spoken." She noted that this was one of the reasons she insisted on passing the law establishing a 50-foot buffer zone around houses of worship, intended to protect congregants from harassment and protests at the entrance to holy places.

Towards the end of her remarks, Hochul turned directly to the Jewish community and said: "I am here for you. You are my family." Although we are before Rosh Hashanah, Hochul chose to refer to the story of Purim and Queen Esther, adding: "If necessary, I will be your Esther, every time you need me."