Martina Navratilova Condemns Anti-Semitic Incident: 11-Year-Old Girl Recorded Asking Rabbi to ‘Kill Yourself’
Renowned tennis star Martina Navratilova expressed deep concern after witnessing a disturbing video featuring an 11-year-old girl verbally assaulting a rabbi in New York City’s Times Square. The video, capturing the confrontation between Rabbi Shmuley Boteach and the young girl, quickly gained over 7.3 million views since its posting on Sunday, December 24, at approximately 10:34 am ET.
Rabbi Shmuley posted a snippet of the incident on social media, accompanied by a caption detailing the distressing encounter. According to the rabbi, the 11-year-old Muslim girl, accompanied by her family, approached him in Times Square and explicitly told him to “kill yourself” due to his Jewish identity. The video captures the shocking moment when the girl’s family allowed their young child to kick Rabbi Shmuley, adding humiliation to the verbal assault. Throughout the incident, the girl persistently insisted that the rabbi should take his own life.
Furthermore, Rabbi Shmuley revealed that other passersby joined in the anti-Semitic attack, yelling that he, as a Jew, should “kill [himself].” The rabbi emphasized the severity of the situation, noting that such incidents contribute to the escalating danger and lethality of anti-Semitism, not only in the United States but also worldwide.
In response to the confrontation, Rabbi Shmuley warned the girl that he would report the incident to the police. However, the young girl remained unapologetic, boldly stating, “I’m not sorry,” while her mother, seemingly amused, defended her daughter by emphasizing her age, claiming she is only 11 years old.
The incident ignited a strong reaction in the comments section of Rabbi Shmuley’s post, with many individuals condemning the girl and her family. Some users expressed skepticism about the girl’s age, suggesting that she may be older. Calls for intervention, such as involving juvenile detention facilities and child protective services, were prevalent in the comments.
Others expressed deep sorrow over the hate being instilled in young minds, emphasizing the heartbreaking consequences of such teachings. The incident was labeled a hate crime by some commenters, questioning the absence of police involvement and advocating for the perpetrators to be held accountable. The pervasive notion that hatred towards Jews is ingrained in young minds within certain communities was also a point of discussion among the commenters.
