
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — One person is in custody in connection to the hate crime attack on a Jewish man that happened amid a clash between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protesters in Times Square on Thursday.
According to authorities, 23-year-old Waseem Awawdeh was arrested and charged with hate crime assault, gang assault, menacing and criminal possession of a weapon.
The NYPD alleges the 23-year-old used a crutch to assault the unidentified Jewish man in front of 1604 Broadway.
Reports say the 29-year-old victim was headed to a pro-Israel protest and was allegedly wearing a yarmulke. Video posted to social media showed the attack happened in the middle of a busy street.
Authorities are still searching for additional suspects in the attack.
Early Friday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo had instructed the State Police Hate Crimes Task Force to assist in the investigation, saying he was shocked by news of the assault.
“I unequivocally condemn these brutal attacks on visibly Jewish New Yorkers and we will not tolerate anti-Semitic violent gang harassment and intimidation. New York is the vibrant and dynamic home for people from around the world,” Cuomo said. “This tapestry makes New York the extraordinary place that it is. Those of all faiths, backgrounds and ethnicities must be able to walk the streets safely and free from harassment and violence.”
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran noted that the Jewish man who was assaulted is a resident of Long Island and condemned the attack on him.
“I am appalled by the Anti-Semitic gang attacks in New York City that victimized a Nassau resident, as well as the rising number of attacks targeting Jews in major cities like Los Angeles and London,” she said in a statement. “It is completely unacceptable for anybody to be intimidated or attacked because of who they are, and we will not tolerate in Nassau County. We stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters and against vile Anti-Semitism that will never find comfort in our communities.”
Curran has instructed the Nassau County Police Department to communicate with synagogues, yeshivas and other houses of worship in the areas to “ensure all of our residents are protected.”
The NYPD says the 29-year-old man was not the only one injured and announced Friday that a woman was also hurt when bystanders threw professional grade fireworks into a crowd at 47th Street.
The woman’s condition was not known Friday afternoon. The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is also investigating that incident.
Mayor Bill de Blasio condemned the violence in his weekly appearance on the "Brian Lehrer Show."
"What happened last night is absolutely unacceptable," de Blasio said. "There's no place for antisemitism in New York City. We will not tolerate it. My message is very clear. Anyone who commits such an act is going to be arrested and prosecuted, and this is a city that has a very proud tradition of standing up against antisemitism in a world where anti-Semitic attacks have been increasing steadily for years, and a lot of governments are turning a blind eye around the world. We will not turn a blind eye. We're going to intervene very forcefully here."
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, or on Twitter @NYPDTips.