NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Anti-Semitism in New York has reached a crisis level.
That's the assessment of City Council Speaker Corey Johnson.
Two teenagers were harassed by men shouting 'Allah Akbar' from a vehicle near 1th Ave and 51st Street on Saturday morning. The teens ran, but former Assemblyman Dov Hikind said the car sped up and one passenger shouted about Hitler.
“Do you know Hitler? We love Hitler!” he said.
Johnson said no one should feel unsafe because of their faith. A surge in anti-Semitic crimes prompted him to come to Williamsburg.
"People are frightened all across the city, and as an elected official, it hurts to say that," he said.
He joined Jewish leaders and council members to work on strategies to counter the trend. Among those who joined him was Matthew Eugene, who represents Crown Heights.
"The Jewish people are being attacked, but the safety, the peace of the community is the business of all of us," he said.
The council is looking to fund the office of hate crime prevention in the upcoming budget.