NYC mayor vows action on anti-Semitism 'crisis'

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced a series of measures to tackle a "crisis" of anti-Semitic attacks, following a mass stabbing.

Mr de Blasio said security would be stepped up in Jewish areas and schools would teach students to tackle hate, reports BBC.

At least five people were injured in the knife attack at a rabbi's house in New York state on Saturday.

President Donald Trump in response to the attack called for unity to fight "the scourge" of anti-Semitism.

Witnesses said the attacker burst into the house in Monsey, north of New York City, which was hosting a Hanukkah celebration, pulled out a large knife and began stabbing people.

The suspected knifeman, named by police as Grafton Thomas, 37, of Greenwood Lake, New York, has been charged with attempted murder.

What did the mayor say?

Just a day before the attack, Mr de Blasio had announced extra police patrols in three areas of Brooklyn with large Jewish populations following a spate of anti-Semitic incidents.

"The spirit we bring today is one of resolve and relentlessness. We will keep adding as many measures as it takes to end this crisis," he told reporters on Sunday.

Mr de Blasio said additional officers would now be deployed to the districts of Williamsburg, Crown Heights and Borough Park.

"People in the community will see our officers present in front of houses of worship and out on the streets. We have to give people a sense of security, and we have to show that this horrible trend we've seen over the last weeks will be stopped dead in its tracks," he said.

Mr de Blasio said changes would be made to the curriculum at schools in Brooklyn starting from next month. He said they would focus on "stopping hate... on building mutual respect, to help young people understand what hate crimes really mean and the dangers they pose to all of us".