‘Kanye 2024:’ Elderly man hospitalized after antisemitic assault in NY

Man shouting antisemitic slurs and invoking name of antisemitic rapper assaults 63-year-old man in Manhattan, leaving him hospitalized.

By Dion J. Pierre, The Algemeiner

A 63-year-old man has been treated for injuries received during an antisemitic attack in New York City’s Central Park in which his assailant allegedly invoked Kanye West, the antisemitic hip hop artist and fashion mogul who has stepped up his rhetorical attacks against Jews in recent weeks.

The assault took place at approximately 6:30 on Wednesday evening.

The victim was walking along the intersection of Terrace Drive and East Drive when his assailant struck him from behind, causing him to fall, chipping a tooth and breaking his hand in the process.

The assailant is then alleged to have uttered a string of antisemitic insults, including the words “Kanye 2024,” according to the New York Post. West has said that he intends to run for the US Presidency in 2024.

The attacker then fled west along 72nd Street on a bicycle with a trailer that displayed various signs, including “Hungry Disabled.”

The victim was subsequently taken to hospital and is reported to be in stable condition.

A representative of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) told ABC News that the attack demonstrated the real-world consequences of West’s invective targeting Jews.

“Cases like celebrities and sports figures who make statements, this is something that’s being carried out by someone with a huge following and when that happens people copy it,” Scott Richman — regional director of the ADL’s office in New York and New Jersey — commented. “People begin to think that is normal.”

The attack, which took place four days before the start of the Hanukkah holiday, is likely to further unnerve Jews in New York as they face an upswing in antisemitism.

According to the NYPD, antisemitic attacks in November rose by 125 percent compared with the same period in 2021. According to general data on hate crimes gathered by the NYPD, Jewish New Yorkers were the most targeted group, accounting for 60 percent of all hate crimes reported.

AntisemitismKanye WestManhattanNew York City