Over the weekend, the national headquarters of the Israeli-American Council (IAC) in Los Angeles, along with the surrounding vicinity, was defaced with antisemitic graffiti.
The vandal or vandals spray-painted a large yellow swastika, the Nazi-style “SS” lightning bolt insignia representing the infamous Schutzstaffel, and the word “burn” on the sidewalk directly outside the IAC’s Woodland Hills facility. A swastika was also marked on a cardboard snowman placed at the building’s entrance.
Nearby, at the entrance to Highway 101, a barrier was scrawled with the words “[Curse] Jews, BDS” — referencing the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement targeting Israel — along with other swastikas painted throughout the vicinity.
The facility, located on Winnetka Avenue and known as the Shepher Community Center, houses the IAC’s Los Angeles regional offices and serves as a hub for both Israeli-American and American Jewish residents in the area.
The IAC is working in coordination with the LAPD’s Topanga Community Police Station to investigate the crime. According to the organization, its surveillance cameras recorded images of a potential suspect, which are now being examined by law enforcement.
“We are appalled by this vile act of antisemitism at the doorstep of our own community and offices,” stated IAC CEO Elan S. Carr, who previously served as the U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism. “Around the world and across our country, we have seen an alarming and historic rise in antisemitism. We are working tirelessly to fight it and to ensure that history does not repeat itself. This incident will not intimidate or deter us — on the contrary, it fuels our determination to stand even stronger against antisemitism and to protect and strengthen our community for generations to come.”
{Matzav.com}
It is certainly a hateful act, and therefore wrong, but could just as certainly have been hateful of Israel and/or Zionism and not anything to do with Jews specifically.