By: Ariella Haviv

Authorities in New York City are investigating yet another act of antisemitic vandalism after graffiti reading “F**k Jews” was discovered scrawled on a sidewalk in the Cobble Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn over the weekend — an incident that draw attention to the growing fears over the surge in hate crimes targeting the Jewish community.

According to a report that appeared early on Sunday at Israel National News, the hateful message was discovered early Saturday morning by local residents, who immediately alerted officials. City Council member Lincoln Restler, whose district includes parts of Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill, shared footage of the graffiti on social media, calling it a “disgusting act of hate” and praising the city’s sanitation workers for their rapid response.

“Antisemitic incidents are a majority of the hate crimes in NYC,” Restler wrote. “All New Yorkers — including Jewish New Yorkers — must feel safe in our city.” He confirmed that NYC Sanitation crews had swiftly cleaned the defaced sidewalk and removed all traces of the slur within hours of the report.

The incident, which follows a series of antisemitic acts reported in recent weeks, has provoked sharp condemnation from city, state, and federal officials, including Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, Governor Kathy Hochul, and Rep. Elise Stefanik.

In a rare statement addressing an antisemitic incident directly, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, whose election victory has drawn scrutiny due to his past anti-Israel statements, posted on X: “Another horrific act of antisemitism on our streets. We cannot stand for this.”

Mamdani’s statement came as the Israel National News report noted heightened tensions within the city’s Jewish community, where fears of increased hostility have been rising since his election earlier this month. Mamdani, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, has previously supported the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel and accused the NYPD of being “laced by the IDF” — remarks that sparked outrage among Jewish leaders across New York.

Despite his record, Mamdani’s quick denunciation of the graffiti was echoed by Governor Kathy Hochul, who called the act “a disgusting, cowardly display of antisemitism that has no place in New York.”

“We stand with our Jewish communities today and always,” Hochul said in a statement shared by Israel National News, adding that she has directed the New York State Police Hate Crimes Task Force to assist in the investigation.

Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who recently declared her candidacy for governor against Hochul, also condemned the vandalism. “Another vile act of antisemitism in New York,” Stefanik wrote. “The criminal cowards responsible must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Stefanik’s remarks, reported by Israel National News, reflect broader frustration among elected officials over what many describe as a “steady and dangerous normalization” of antisemitic expression.

The graffiti incident comes amid alarming new statistics showing that antisemitic hate crimes once again accounted for the majority of bias-related offenses in New York City.