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NY Congressman’s Office Vandalized with Pro-Palestinian Graffiti Amidst Israel Support
Edited by: Fern Sidman
Representative Dan Goldman’s Brooklyn office became the target of vandalism on Thursday night, with pro-Palestinian graffiti sprayed across the facade and sidewalk. As was reported by the New York Post, the slogans, including “Blood on ur hands,” “free Palestine,” and “let Gaza live,” were discovered by Goldman and his staff the following morning. The incident has sparked condemnation from fellow Democratic officials and calls for unity amid rising tensions.
Fellow Brooklyn Democratic official Doug Schneider shared photos of the defaced office on social media, denouncing the act as a “deplorable crime” and linking it to Goldman’s outspoken stance against anti-Semitism and support for Israel’s right to self-defense, according to the Post report. NYPD officers were already on the scene when the first staffer arrived, but the perpetrators had covered security cameras, making identification challenging.
Goldman’s communications director, Simone Kanter, issued a statement saying, “Our office is accessible 24/7 by appointment, phone, social media, email, or mail, and our incredible constituent services team works around the clock to respond to outreach. Harassing, intimidating, and outright attacking the staff of a Jewish elected official at a time of rising violence and rampant anti-Semitism is dangerous and unacceptable,” the Post report said.
Members of New York’s Democratic congressional delegation, including Jerry Nadler, Jamaal Bowman, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, also issued a joint statement condemning the vandalism. The Post reported that while acknowledging the emotional nature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, they urged against letting disagreements lead to violence and emphasized the importance of peaceful protests.
“We stand together to condemn the vandalism discovered this morning targeting Representative Dan Goldman’s district office. While everyone has a first amendment right to peacefully protest and make their voice heard, that must not extend to intimidating staff or outright criminal behavior,” Reps. Jerry Nadler, Jamaal Bowman, Yvette Clarke, Adriano Espaillat, Hakeem Jeffries, Gregory Meeks, Grace Meng, Joseph Morelle, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Pat Ryan, Paul Tonko, Ritchie Torres and Nydia Velazquez said in a joint statement, according to the Post report.
“This is a deeply personal and emotional issue for all who care about a future of peace for both the Israeli and Palestinian people, but we cannot let our disagreements turn us against each other and inflame violence here at home,” they added, the report said.
Goldman, who was in Israel during the recent border incident where Hamas terrorists attacked and brutally murdered 1200 Israelis and others has been an advocate for Israel’s right to defend itself. The Post report noted that in a joint statement with Nadler in the aftermath of the Hamas attack, Goldman wrote: “Israel has an absolute right – indeed a moral obligation – to defend its citizens and borders in response to Hamas’s horrific terrorist attack.”
Goldman also participated in the November 14th rally on the National Mall in Washington, DC, advocating for the release of the 239 hostages being held captive by Hamas in Gaza and condemning anti-Semitism, the Post report added.
Despite his support for Israel, Goldman has also criticized alleged violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the Judea and Samaria region and called for measures to protect “innocent” Palestinians in Gaza during the ongoing conflict, the Post report said.
