An attack on a New York rabbi's home in which five people were stabbed was an act of domestic terrorism, the state's governor has said.

The victims were stabbed in the basement of Hasidic Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg's home in Monsey at around 10pm on Saturday, the seventh night of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.

A suspect, identified by police as Grafton E Thomas, has pleaded not guilty to five counts of attempted murder and one count of burglary.

Image: Grafton E Thomas (L) is facing five counts of attempted murder, police say

Image: Emergency services at the scene in Monsey, Rockland County, New York

"Let's call it what it is. These people are domestic terrorists and the law should reflect that and they should be punished as if it was an act of terrorism," governor Andrew Cuomo said on Sunday.

Speaking at the scene, about 35 miles (56km) north of New York City, he said: "It is intolerant, it is ignorant but it is also illegal. At the end of the day, it is not just about words but actions. It is violence spurred by hate. It is mass violence and I consider this an act of domestic terrorism."


One person was in a critical condition after being very seriously wounded, the governor said, adding that the rabbi's son was among five people who were taken to hospital.

His condition and that of the other victims has not been made clear.

A motive for the attack has not been confirmed by authorities, but Mr Cuomo called it "an intolerant time in our country".

"We see anger, we see hatred exploding. It is an American cancer on the body politic," he said.

Image: The attack took place at a rabbi's home during Hannukah

President Donald Trump has called it a horrific attack.

"We must all come together to fight, confront, and eradicate the evil scourge of anti-Semitism," he wrote on Twitter.

Video showing Thomas, 37, from nearby Greenwood Lake, being arrested by police in the city borough of Harlem, was posted online.

Aron Kohn, one of dozens of people at a party in the house, said the attacker was carrying a large weapon.

"I saw him walking in by the door. I ask who was coming in the middle of the night with an umbrella. While I was saying that, he pulled it out from the thing and he started to run into the big room, which was on the left side."

Mr Kohn said one injured man was bleeding "all over", including on his neck and hands.

Israel strongly condemns the recent displays of antisemitism including the vicious attack at the home of a rabbi in Monsey, New York, during Chanukah. — Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) December 29, 2019

"I ran into the other room because I tried to save my life, I saw him running down this way, so I ran out," he added.

Chabad.org, which says it is the "website of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement," published details of the attack based on witnesses and other sources.

It said: "An individual with a scarf covering his face entered just before 10pm, brandishing a knife and began stabbing some of the Chassidic Jews gathered for the celebration.

Image: Members of the Jewish community gathered outside the home

"The attacker then attempted to enter the adjacent synagogue, but was locked out by the people there, who barricaded themselves inside."

According to public records, Rabbi Rottenberg leads the synagogue next door.

Photos and videos posted on social media show a large emergency response, with paramedics running and pushing stretchers.

Image: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says the attack is an act of 'domestic terrorism'

New York City's police department said it was stepping up patrols in heavily populated Jewish neighbourhoods, such as Monsey, in Rockland County, following a spate of anti-Semitic attacks over the past year, including one that left a rabbi dead.

Earlier this month, six people, including a police officer, died in a shooting at a kosher market in northern New Jersey.

Around New York City, police have received at least six reports this week - and eight since 13 December - of attacks possibly prompted by anti-Jewish sentiment.

The NYPD counter-terrorism bureau said it was "closely monitoring the reports".

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a tweet his country "strongly condemns the recent displays of antisemitism including the vicious attack at the home of a rabbi in Monsey, New York, during Chanukah."

New York State Attorney General Leticia James said: "There is zero tolerance for acts of hate of any kind and we will continue to monitor this horrific situation. I stand with the Jewish community tonight and every night."

Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted, "Hate doesn't have a home in our city," and described the latest incident as an attack on all New Yorkers.