A popular Brooklyn Israeli restaurant was vandalized with blood-red paint and anti-Israel slogans Sunday in what elected leaders are denouncing as an act of hateful antisemitism.
The glass door and windows of Miriam Restaurant on Fifth Ave. in Park Slope were splattered with red paint and the stenciled messages “Israel Steals Culture” and “Genocide Cuisine” on Saturday, the restaurant’s owner posted on Instagram.
The vandalism was reported at 3 a.m. Sunday, and the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating, a police spokesman said. No arrests have been made.
“We refuse to let this darken our spirit,” the restaurant’s management posted. “Miriam stands for inclusivity and unity and bringing people together through the shared love of delicious food and warm hospitality.”
Mayor Adams, Gov. Hochul and other condemned the vandalism Sunday.
“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 posted on X. “To the owners and staff of Miriam: your state stands with you. And the perpetrators will be brought to justice.”
Adams posted he’s “heartbroken by this evil act.”
“Make no mistake, the NYPD is investigating and will find those responsible,” he added. “We will never tolerate hateful acts like these.”
Miriam’s Upper West Side location was hit with antisemitic graffiti in 2022, with someone spray painting “f— Jews” on its outdoor dining area walls.
“Infuriating to see Miriam Restaurant — one of my absolute favs — vandalized w/antisemitic graffiti,” city Comptroller Brad Lander wrote on Bluesky Sunday. “Defacing their restaurant because they serve Israeli food & their owner is a Jewish Israeli New Yorker is a clear example of when anti-Zionism becomes antisemitism.”