A hate crime investigation is underway in Newton, Massachusetts, after posters with the names and photos of Israeli hostages being held by Hamas were allegedly defaced and damaged by vandals.
In total, police say they are investigating "five instances of hate and vandalism" since late February. Vandals targeted one home twice.
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"Bias, hatred and targeting of those for their personal beliefs can not and will not be tolerated by the Newton Police Department," Chief John Carmichael said in a statement. "Now is a time for solidarity to prevail in our community not divisiveness. We ask the community to partner with us to identify the individual(s) responsible for these acts and help send the message that such hate has no place in Newton."
One homeowner told NBC10 Boston he put up posters in mid-October — just days after the initial Hamas attack on Israel — to show support and give people impacted by the war oversees a place to meditate and pray.
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It was vandalized over the weekend.
"We found the whole thing destroyed," said Jeff Kosowsky. "There are over 100 pictures here. Every one was defaced, they purposely blotted out the pictures and names of these innocent babies, children, women and then when they ran out of paint they used some tool to deface and pull off all the rest of the pictures."
Newton police said the incident is being investigated as a hate crime since victims of a “protected class” were specifically targeted.
"It was significant, you know? Several thousands of dollars of damage. There is no doubt that this was hate. This was not just random violence. This wasn’t vandalism. This wasn’t theft. It was pure hate," said Jeff Kosowski, the homeowner.
Kosowski said he plans to keep these posters up to serve as a reminder and a message to the community.
"This is much bigger than us, and we just want to let people know this hate exists so we can fight this thing," he said. "Frankly, to me, it's less concerning that they catch the individuals and more that the message of hate gets out. You can lock up forever an individual, but if that message of hate persists then you haven't really done anything."
"It's a little bit of a wake up call," said Amy Lieberman, who lives near one of the homes impacted. "We think we live in a little bit of a bubble here, we're clearly not immune to the antisemitism that's really rampant right now."
One targeted family who wants to remain anonymous spoke with NBC10 Boston.
"Hamas' terrorist attack launched a war that is a tragedy for all involved," a resident said. "Showing our support for our family in Israel is a small thing that brought us comfort in a time of tremendous pain. Violence has no place in our community and we will not give in to bullying and intimidation."
"I think this is the kind of unfortunate reality in which Jews in America are now confronted with when they want to openly express what their beliefs are," said neighbor Les Brail.
Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller issued a statement Monday condemning the vandalism:
"In recent days we have seen two disturbing acts of vandalism in Newton targeting homes displaying support for hostages and Israel which has led Jewish neighbors to feel both upset and afraid," she said. "Both the Newton Police and I take all hate incidents and hate crimes seriously. Newton Police are continuing their investigation of the premeditated destruction of posters and graffiti on private property in front of a home along Homer Street. Posters depicting photographs of hostages held by Hamas and a lawn sign in support of Israel were found Sunday morning torn and/or defaced with black spray paint. This vandalism comes just days after another hateful incident in Newton where a rock was thrown through a front door window of a home with a sign supporting Israel."
"We gain strength and comfort by standing together, listening to each other, and connecting as a community of allies," Fuller added. "Antisemitic and hate incidents are on the rise. Across the country these incidents and crimes are targeting Jews, Palestinians, Muslims, Blacks, Asians, immigrants, members of the LGBTQ+ community and more. We as a community must stand together to condemn antisemitism and acts of hate and violence against anyone. Our only way forward is to respect the rights, dignity and differences of others. We cannot let hate divide us."
"We are asking for the community to help us," said Newton Police Lt. Amanda Henrickson. "Go back, look through cameras, to help us with any leads that could help us find out who’s committing these acts in the city."
Police said they are continuing to search for the person or people responsible for the vandalism. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Newton Police Department at 617-796-2121.
