Miriam, popular Israeli restaurant, vandalized in Brooklyn
NEW YORK - Miriam, a cherished Israeli restaurant in Park Slope, Brooklyn, was vandalized over the weekend. The NYPD says its Hate Crimes Task Force is now investigating.
Surveillance video shows the vandals painting antisemitic graffiti on the outside of Miriam's on Fifth Avenue and Prospect Place. It happened around 3 a.m. Sunday.
The owner says his restaurant isn't connected to the unrest happening in Israel.
"We've been good neighbors for 20 years, and I don't think we deserve any of this behavior," owner Rafael Hasid said. "I hope next time, if there's anything people have a problem with what we do here, they come and we have a conversation."
"The antisemitic graffiti put on Miriam, a cherished restaurant in the Park Slope community, is a hateful, unacceptable, and disgusting act," New York Attorney General Letitia James posted in response. "We must confront intolerance in all forms, and anyone who wrongfully targets and attacks innocent New Yorkers must be held accountable."
"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," New York City Mayor Eric Adams posted. "Make no mistake, the NYPD is investigating and will find those responsible. We will never tolerate hateful acts like these here. Ever."
The vandalism comes ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Monday. The Museum of Jewish Heritage in Lower Manhattan will commemorate the day with several events, including the livestream of a special ceremony in Poland marking 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz starting at 10 a.m.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish. You can also submit a tip via their website. All calls are kept confidential.
