An Israeli-owned eatery in Manhattan has been defaced with anti-Semitic graffiti last week, sparking wide condemnation from local politicians and diplomats alike.
Last Thursday morning, workers were surprised to find the restaurant has been daubed with the words "F**k Jews" several times.
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Anti-Semitic graffiti daubed in front of Israeli-owned Manhattan restaurant Miriam, New York City, New York, February 17, 2022
(Photo: Twitter)
"It was very sad to see this. Why do people have to be so hateful?" said Rafael Hasid, chef and owner of Miriam, which opened for business in Manhattan's Upper West Side less than a month ago.
"I didn't tell my family about this because I didn't want to concern my mom who lives in Israel. When you're far away, everything seems worse than it really is, and I didn't want to make her worry."
Hasid, who has been living in the U.S. for the past 22 years, said it was not the first time one of his restaurants in New York has been the target of such attacks.
The New York Police Department launched a have crime investigation into the incident.
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Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine eats at Miriam after anti-Semitic incident
(Photo: Twitter)
The graffiti was removed and members of the city council expressed their support for the business, calling on the public to go dine there.
In an act of solidarity, a coterie of local politicians and diplomats came to the restaurant and indulged in authentic hummus and shakshuka.
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine shared a photo of the graffiti on his Twitter account and called the vandalism "disgusting."
“We must condemn this hatred everywhere it emerges,” he wrote. “We can’t accept this as normal.”
Israeli Consul-General in New York Asaf Zamir was also spotted munching on Israeli delicacies in the restaurant after the incident.
Meanwhile, several cars were also spray-painted with anti-Semitic slurs outside New York City's Park East Synagogue.
Since the beginning of the year, NYC has seen an uptick in anti-Semitic incidents, with 22 hate crimes against Jews recorded so far.