Rabbi stabbed in ‘hate crime’ on London street
Martin Evans Dominic Penna AN ORTHODOX Jewish Rabbi was stabbed outside a bank yesterday in an alleged hate crime.
Rabbi Alter Yaakov Schlesinger was attacked on the street in Stoke Newington, east London, by a man who was then tackled by bystanders.
Witnesses said the attacker had been following the rabbi and then suddenly approached him and started stabbing him. The knifeman was overpowered and disarmed by members of the public, including workers from a nearby building site.
Police said a man was in custody last night and had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
Rabbi Schlesinger, a member of the Hasidic Jewish community from nearby Stamford Hill, was airlifted to the Royal London Hospital, where his condition was understood to be stable last night. A witness who asked not to be identified said: “The victim had been with members of his family and he had gone into the bank to pay some money in.
“This man had followed him into the bank and then followed him out. When he got outside, he produced a knife and just started attacking him.
“It was absolutely terrifying. Luckily, some members of the public were quickly on the scene and they tackled the man and held him down.”
Lazar Friedlander, a construction site manager, and his brother Matt described how they ran towards the alleged attacker and restrained him after hearing a “serious scream”.
He said: “We ran outside, I saw a Jewish man covered in blood. I’m Jewish myself, and I can see another Jewish man shouting, ‘Hold him, catch him, he’s got a knife.’
“There were a couple of other people trying to grab him. Me and my brother managed to force him down and put his hands behind his back until the police came. I wouldn’t call myself a hero. You act in the heat of the moment.”
Scotland Yard were quick to say they were not treating the incident as terror-related but a spokesman said the question of whether it was a hate crime would form part of the investigation.
A source told The Telegraph that the alleged attacker had been released from prison in recent days following a conviction for violence and had a history of mental health problems.
There has been a sharp rise in the number of anti-semitic attacks in the capital.
Last
1,800 community, the highest number ever logged in a calendar year.
Marie van der Zyl, president of the Board of Deputies said: “Our thoughts are with the victim and we pray for his speedy recovery. We are liaising with … the Stamford Hill community to share our concern and solidarity. We would like to thank the members of the public who restrained the attacker.”
A Scotland Yard spokesman said last night: “A man in his 40s has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. He has been taken to hospital after suffering what is believed to be minor head injuries.
“The victim, in his 50s, has also been taken to hospital. We await further updates on his condition. We are not treating this as terror-related.”