ADL ‘concerned’ by spate of anti-Semitic, racist vandalism in Manhattan
Published December 29, 2017
(JTA) — The Anti-Defamation League expressed concern following recent incidents in Manhattan featuring vandalism and anti-Semitic graffiti.
There have been well over a dozen incidents including at three Upper East Side businesses, private apartments and other public spaces, ADL said Thursday citing reports. It included “explicit anti-Semitic symbols, as well as racist” ones. ADL did not say when the incidents took place.
On Thursday, police released a photo of one slender man, who appears to be older than 50, whom police said is wanted for committing a pattern of aggravated harassment as a hate crime. He is believed to have placed stickers containing anti-gay, anti-black and anti-Semitic statements on three Madison Avenue stores since October, police said.
The first incident tied to that man was noticed on Oct. 4. An employee of a jewelry store on Madison Avenue between East 75th and 76th streets noticed stickers with the hateful messages on a store window, police said.
On Oct. 30 an employee of a clothing store on Madison Avenue between East 77th Street and 78th streets found a sticker with an anti-Semitic symbol placed on the store window.
The most recent vandalism occurred Dec. 2 at another jewelry store on Madison Avenue between East 75th and 76th streets, Patch reported, based on police sources. A sticker with an anti-Semitic symbol was placed on the window. The man pictured has not been arrested and police are asking for anyone with knowledge about his identity of whereabouts to step forward.
“This recent spate of hateful acts remind us that the fight against anti-Semitism is inextricably linked to the fight of all forms of hate, and therefore must be addressed in all our communities,” said ADL New York Regional Director Evan R. Bernstein in a statement.
In the first three quarters of 2017, ADL tracked 167 incidents of anti-Semitic vandalism across New York State as well as a 92% increase in anti-Semitic incidents in New York City. In the recent findings, Manhattan surpassed other NYC boroughs receiving the highest number of anti-Semitic incidents.
