he moment a Jew was punched by someone walking past him in the street in a vicious, unprovoked attack has been caught on camera.
Police released surveillance camera footage from Brooklyn, New York, showing a lone man in a hooded jacket walking past a group of men – and one of the group lashing out at him.
The attack is one of several on Jews in the area that have been terrifying the community.
Another told
CBS New York that
his 12-year-old son was hit with huge force in the head by a teenager. He was dressed in traditional Jewish clothing at the time.
He said: ‘One, full strength with his fist, whacked him, punched him, on the side of the face, full force.'
Afterwards, he revealed, one of the group shouted hysterically ‘we got him.’
He added: ‘It’s clearly anti-Semitism.’
Rabbi Yaacov Behrman said that no belongings have been stolen during the attacks, so their purpose was purely to inflict pain.
Indeed, in one incident, a 19-year-old carrying an expensive camera was punched, but his assailant didn't take the camera.
Behrman told CBS New York:
‘They’re playing a game: “Knock out the Jew”, maybe. And they’re going around the neighborhood punching Jews.'
Three freshly sprayed swastikas have also been found in Brooklyn recently, suggesting that the attacks may indeed be hate crimes.
NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating the attacks and graffiti.