Swastikas daubed on New York Jewish homes, synagogues, US police say

NEW YORK - Antisemitic graffiti including swastikas has been spray-painted onto Jewish homes and synagogues in New York, police and a city official confirmed on May 4.

The incident is the latest instance of antisemitic vandalism against the city’s Jewish community, with previous targets including playgrounds, places of worship and the subway.

A wall outside the Rego Park Jewish Center in the borough of Queens was tagged with a swastika and the words “heil Hitler,” images on social media showed.

A police spokeswoman confirmed to AFP “multiple locations had swastikas drawn with spray paint” and that no arrests had been made but the investigation was ongoing.

“Multiple synagogues and private homes in Queens were vandalised overnight with swastikas and other antisemitic graffiti,” Ms Julie Menin, speaker of the New York City Council, wrote on social media.

“The graffiti will be removed once the investigation is complete. With antisemitism on the rise here and across the globe, we will always stand up for our Jewish community and fight back against hate.”

New York’s leftist mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has called Israel an “apartheid regime,” has been accused by some Jews of fueling a sharp rise in antisemitism through his politics, a charge he denies.

Antisemitic incidents jumped 182 per cent between January 2025 and January 2026, according to recent figures from police in New York, home to the largest Jewish community outside Israel.

Mr Mamdani has previously vowed to “stand steadfast with our Jewish neighbours to root the scourge of antisemitism out of our city.”

Some 82 per cent of Jewish voters – including two-thirds who voted for Mr Mamdani – signalled concern over the “rise of antisemitism in New York City,” according to a new poll by the Jewish Majority group. AFP