An Israeli restaurant was vandalized with anti-Israel graffiti in Brooklyn, according to the eatery, rousing outrage among New York political leaders and Jewish community organizations.
“Genocide cuisine” and “Israel steals culture” were painted with stencils on the door and windows of the Miriam restaurant on Saturday, according to photographs published by the restaurant on social media. Red paint was splashed at the Park Slope restaurant’s entrance.
This was a despicable act of antisemitism at Miriam, a beloved Israeli restaurant in Park Slope.As mayor of the city with the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, I am particularly heartbroken by this evil act. Make no mistake, the NYPD is investigating and will find… pic.twitter.com/CmeOfTqTo5
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) January 26, 2025
The New York Police Department is investigating the incident, New York Mayor Eric Adams said on Sunday.
Feeding love, not hate
The restaurant said its branches would continue to welcome all and encouraged patrons to spread “love, not hate.”
“Miriam Brooklyn Restaurant was sadly vandalized with messages of hate. But we refuse to let this darken our spirit,” the restaurant wrote on Facebook and Instagram. “Miriam stands for inclusivity and unity and bringing people together through the shared love of delicious food and warm hospitality. We celebrate the diverse flavors of the Mediterranean, where cultures intertwine and stories are shared.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Sunday said that the state stood alongside the restaurant owners and staff and that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.
“This outrageous and despicable act of antisemitism in Brooklyn is an attack on all New Yorkers and flies in the face of our values,” Hochul said on X/Twitter.
Adams also described the incident as antisemitic, adding on social media, “As mayor of the city with the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, I am particularly heartbroken by this evil act.”
Democratic House Minority Leader and New York Congressman Hakeem Jeffries issued a statement on Sunday denouncing the “antisemitic vandalization of a beloved restaurant in Brooklyn.
“We stand with the owners as well as the Jewish community and are thankful for the swift law enforcement response,” said Jeffries. ‘The perpetrators of this vile attack must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who said on social media that his family had eaten at Miriam several times, visited the restaurant on Sunday to meet with the owner, staff, and patrons.
I visited Miriam this evening, the Brooklyn restaurant that experienced despicable vandalism last night.I met with the owner, the workers, and their patrons.I told them I stood with them, and that vandalizing a restaurant because the owner was Jewish was outright… pic.twitter.com/VBCm9orZGa
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 26, 2025
“Vandalizing a restaurant because the owner is Jewish is outright antisemitic,” Schumer said on X.
New York State Assemblyman Zohran Kwame Mamdani said the vandalism was wrong, and New York City Council Member Shahana Hanif condemned the vandalism of the “cherished local Park Slope restaurant.”
Within our Lifetime leader Nerdeen Kiswani attacked Hanif for cherishing “Zionist restaurants that profit off of appropriated food” and denied that the vandalism was an act of hate or antisemitism. The eatery was targeted because it was Israeli, not because it was Jewish-owned, she argued.
“There’s no point of people in our community being in government if you stigmatize our struggle,” Kiswani said on X.
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Kiswani argued that it was harmful to describe “direct action against Zionist institutions” as antisemitism. Politicians were defending Israeli restaurant windows but were silent when action was taken against activists, the anti-Israel organization leader said. There was no reason for this graffiti to be condemned over random graffiti, said Kiswani, as the city was “built on” vandalism.
Unity of Fields, formerly Palestine Action US, on social media praised “actionists” for vandalizing the “bloodthirsty Zionist restaurant in Park Slope serving genocide cuisine.”
The United Jewish Appeal Federation of New York said on X that it was troubled by the vandalism and was committed to working with authorities to ensure that the perpetrators were apprehended.
The Anti-Defamation League thanked the NYPD for its quick response and said on social media that it had contacted the eatery owner to offer support.