New York City authorities have leveled hate crimes charges against a Bronx man arrested on Friday for attacking a woman and a guard during Shabbat services at Central Synagogue in Manhattan — marking the latest in a wave of antisemitic incidents targeting the world’s largest Jewish community outside Israel.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch revealed that 46-year-old Larry Montes will be prosecuted for assault and criminal mischief as hate crimes, “among other charges,” after police arrested him for striking a woman, damaging property and head-butting a member of the Reform synagogue’s security detail. 

Video from the Upper East Side synagogue’s livestream captured the terrified reaction as a man, whom police have identified as Montes, burst screaming into Friday night Shabbat services before a guard forced him from the premises.

It was during his exit that Montes became physically violent, though victims experienced only minor injuries, Tisch wrote on X.

“I’m relieved that no one was seriously injured. Those who were hurt were evaluated at the scene and are doing well. There are no known additional threats at this time, and additional NYPD resources have been deployed to the synagogue,” Tisch posted, noting her personal connection to the congregation. “Central Synagogue is where I grew up. In joy and in sorrow, it has always been a place of comfort and peace. What happened there tonight is deeply painful. A place of worship should never be a crime scene.”

Mayor Zohran Mamdani offered his own condolences and assurances following the assault.

“I can only imagine the pain and fear an attack like this, during Shabbat services, causes for the congregation and for Jewish New Yorkers across our city,” he wrote in a post on X. “Every New Yorker must be able to observe their religion without fear of violence. This despicable act has no place in our city, and our administration will do everything in our power to keep Jewish New Yorkers safe.”

The arrest comes just weeks after Central Synagogue Rabbi Angela Buchdahl publicly castigated the mayor over a viral video released on his official social media channels denouncing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “war criminal.” Buchdahl warned that singling out the Jewish state as “uniquely monstrous” put Jewish New Yorkers in danger.

“You say you want to keep the Jews of New York City safe. But safety is not just about providing extra protection at parades and synagogues. Safety is about creating a climate in which Jews do not need to feel maligned or indicted by the city’s leaders, where we do not need to feel there is a bullseye on our backs,” Buchdahl wrote. “You cannot claim to protect Jews while using the power of your office to make Jewish identity morally tainted and imperiled.”

Days after Mamdani’s video, a Jewish man leaving another Manhattan synagogue was one of two victims of another alleged antisemitic attack, although a link between the mayor’s social media clip and the Upper West Side stabbing has not been established. The incident prompted Jewish civic and political leaders to demand Mamdani tone down his rhetoric about Israel, a call to which he did not respond.

Mamdani, whose anti-Israel activism helped propel him to prominence on the left, faced near-identical calls from a roundtable of rabbis he invited to City Hall on Monday. Among the groups represented at the event was the Union for Reform Judaism, which responded to the attack on Friday by encouraging Congress to pass the bipartisan Jewish American Security Act, and highlighting the funding the legislation would provide for enhanced security at synagogues.

“Jewish spiritual practice includes study, prayer and yes, action. Let us double down on all three,” URJ said in a statement.

The FBI announced on Tuesday that it had disrupted a sophisticated attack targeting the UFC fight on the White House lawn on Sunday, with Fox News reporting that one suspect allegedly told investigators that the attack was targeting “capitalist elites,” “billionaires” and politicians who received donations from AIPAC.

FBI Director Kash Patel said on X that multiple individuals outside the D.C. area were in custody in connection with the attack in what he said was a multi-state operation. Fox News reported that five arrests had been made and 23 people were identified as being involved.

In an announcement, the Department of Justice said that the investigation is still ongoing and that arrests were carried out in Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska and California.

According to a criminal complaint released by the DOJ, one of the suspects, Tycen Proper, “appeared to identify potential US Congressional targets due to their support for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), noting donations the members previously received from AIPAC” and identified several specific leaders he planned to focus on because they “were supportive of Israel.”

The targets included Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Jim Justice (R-WV), Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV) and West Virginia state Del. Tristan Leavitt.

According to the complaint, another one of the suspects identified Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who some claimed would be attending the fight, as another primary target, alongside President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Elon Musk.

According to Fox News, the attack plot called for attacking buildings near the event using explosive-laden drones, forcing an evacuation from the UFC event into the path of a sniper team, followed by an attempt to storm the White House gate.

Fox News reported that authorities have identified no foreign connection to the attempted attack.