organize supporter of former AOC advocate incites followers to physically assault school accommodating Jewish pupils
A former organizer linked to Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's 2018 campaign, Iman Abdul, has been arrested for inciting violence against Leon M. Goldstein High School for the Sciences in Brooklyn, a public high school attended by Jewish students.
The arrest came a day after Abdul posted on social media, urging people to "attack" the school. The post included the Google Maps location of the school and a threatening message about Jewish students attending the institution. The police charged Abdul with making a terroristic threat, aggravated harassment, endangering the welfare of a child, and making threats of mass harm.
The inflammatory post led to heightened security protocols at the school and widespread condemnation from Jewish advocacy groups. The school has been the target of antisemitic incidents in the past, adding to the concerns about the rising trend of antisemitism in New York City.
Abdul's arrest is a response to the significant rise in antisemitic incidents and hate crimes in the city. In early 2025, Deputy Inspector Gary Marcus stated that hate crimes against Jews "jump off the page as the single largest category of hate" and that "well over half of all hate crimes in New York City are perpetrated against Jews."
However, Ocasio-Cortez's campaign officially denied that Abdul was ever a staffer, describing claims linking her to the campaign as false and condemning the threatening rhetoric. Abdul herself claimed she did not call for an actual physical attack but rather a verbal "attack" on what she described as a "Zionist institution."
The incident has intensified concerns about antisemitism in New York City and has prompted political denials and debates over associations with political figures. It also highlights ongoing tensions and the potential for social media to amplify extremist rhetoric and threats against minority communities in the city.
Notably, Abdul also worked for the primary campaign of New York State Senator Julia Salazar. However, she falsely claimed that all Jewish students at the school have gone on Birthright, a program that sends young Jewish adults to Israel for 10 days. High school students under the age of 18 are ineligible to go on Birthright trips, contradicting Abdul's claim.
The StopAntisemitism movement has reposted Abdul's post and called for its prosecution. The Department of Education pre-k staffer Tova Plaut has expressed concern about the threatening post made by Abdul. The arrest underscores significant challenges in combatting antisemitism locally, raising awareness about threats targeting Jewish students in NYC public schools.
Politics in New York City has been marred by controversies, with the arrest of Iman Abdul, a former organizer linked to both Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's 2018 campaign and New York State Senator Julia Salazar's primary campaign, on charges related to inciting violence against a Jewish high school. The general-news story has also highlighted the increase in crime-and-justice incidents, as Abdul's arrest is a response to the significant rise in antisemitic incidents and hate crimes in the city.
