A bicycle vandal, displaying a swastika, was caught on unsettling surveillance footage at a Brooklyn yeshiva early Wednesday morning, just hours after Zoran Mamdani’s victory in the mayoral election.
The video shows an individual wearing a wide-brimmed hat arriving at Magen David Yeshiva in Gravesend around 6:30 a.m. The person briefly paused to spray hateful graffiti before riding away.
Bob Moskiewicz, a dispatcher with the Flatbush Shomerim Patrol, expressed concern, saying, “Following last night’s election results, people are understandably on edge. I worry this might become a frequent occurrence, and that these individuals might feel emboldened.”
Moskiewicz emphasized, “This is clearly hate graffiti. It doesn’t matter where it’s placed, be it a mailbox or a pole. We have a significant Jewish community here, and this school serves a large student body. It’s deeply unsettling for everyone involved.”
The graffiti incident, occurring shortly after Mamdani, a Muslim social democrat, won against former Governor Andrew Cuomo, has stirred anxiety among some New Yorkers regarding the potential anti-Israel sentiments from the new mayor.
One father from the yeshiva remarked, “This wasn’t an accident. It’s a direct response to Mamdani’s election. Anyone saying otherwise is either lying to themselves or simply doesn’t see the truth. This sends a message that with a new leadership, hidden biases can come out into the open.”
He described it as a representation of “Mamdani’s New York.”
Moskiewicz reported that patrols were informed about the graffiti about half an hour after it occurred, leading them to discover two swastikas on the main school building and two more on adjacent windows.
He subsequently notified the New York City Police Department. The school acted quickly to wash away the graffiti and place Israeli flags over the affected areas.
Empire State Police condemned the vandalism within hours, attributing it to the current political environment. U.S. Representative Elise Stefanik stated, “This act is unacceptable and should alarm us all that Mamdani is fostering a troubling political atmosphere, poised to let anti-Semitism grow in New York City, something backed by Governor Hochul.”
Stefanik criticized both Mamdani and Hochul for not publicly addressing the incident sooner.
Eventually, both officials shared their thoughts on the vandalism. Mamdani mentioned, “This is an appalling act of anti-Semitism that has no place in our city. I will, as Mayor, strive to stand shoulder to shoulder with my Jewish neighbors in combating such hate.”
The police are currently investigating the event, though no arrests have been made thus far.
