Swastikas and ‘Free Palestine’ found spray-painted in tony Montauk
Anti-Semitic graffiti was found spray-painted across Montauk Monday morning, including crudely rendered swastikas and scrawled letters that appeared to read “Free Palestine.”
The hateful symbols and phrases were discovered plastered across the doors, fencing, and picnic tables of two downtown restaurants — Naturally Good, and Sausages Pizza and Pastabilities — and on food trucks and signage about two miles away at Ditch Plains Beach.
“With the current climate and the state of affairs in the world it is troubling that an individual — or, individuals — would act out in such a manner,” East Hampton Town Police Captain Chris Anderson
Another phrase read “Jeden die.” It appeared they intended to write “Juden” — the German word for “Jews.”
“The spelling is not great,” Anderson said, noting even the “Free Palestine” graffiti was difficult to understand.
The vandalism was first reported to cops “before sunrise,” Chief Michael Sarlo , and investigators believe it was done sometime Sunday night.
“We cannot make further comment on specific steps at this time,” Sarlo said. “Obviously, the canvass of the areas for any and all video footage will be a primary concern.”
East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc called the vandalism “evil and disgusting symbols of hatred” which had no place in Montauk’s “close-knit, caring, and inclusive community.”
“Civil society requires us to treat each other with respect, tolerance, and dignity, especially now as tensions are increasing due to conflicts in other parts of the world,” he said.
The incident was just the latest in a spree of antisemitic vandalism to turn uꦅp in N🌱ew York since Hamas launched a terror attack against Israel on October 7.
The iconic 2nd Avenue Deli — a Jewish institution on the Upper East Side — was defaced with a swastika. about 10 days after the Hamas invasion. More of the sy𒆙mbols, synonymous with Nazism🅰 and genocidal Jewish hate, were later found graffitied across the street.
Anti-Israeli graffiti was also found written across the sidewalk outside Congregation Beth Elohim, one of the most promine༒nt synagogues in Brookly♔n.
NYC has seen a spike in hate crimes since Hamas’ attack, with over 60% of the reported incidents being against Jewish victims, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny announced last week.
