Florida police detained a Jordanian man for questioning on Sunday after pulling a knife to threaten Jews, reports Local 10 News.
Al Saccal (39) is accused of brandishing a sharp object and verbally assaulting an Orthodox Jewish couple in Sunny Isles Beach as they were on their way to synagogue on the Sabbath.
“All Jews are the devil” and “All Jews must die,” Saccal yelled while chasing the couple, as noted by the police report.
This incident comes amid a significant uptick in antisemitic hate crimes both in the United States and globally, following an attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7.
Data from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) shows a significant increase of 360% in antisemitic hate crimes within the United States since October 2023. Incidents include bomb threats targeting synagogues, physical assaults, vandalism, and harassment—with a notable surge in online harassment specifically. A recent ADL survey found that 52 percent of Jewish respondents reported experiencing some form of online antisemitism in their lifetimes.
ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt expressed serious concern about the unprecedented levels of antisemitism online, calling for immediate action from both policymakers and tech companies. He highlighted the direct correlation between online hate speech and real-world violence, stressing the urgent need for commitments to combat online hate to be actively implemented to safeguard communities.
