NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – The NYPD released images of four suspects Wednesday in connection with vandalism, including swastikas, at a Jewish-owned restaurant in Chelsea.
The NYPD's Hate Crime Task Force is investigating the May 6 vandalism at Zizi, a Middle Eastern eatery on Eighth Avenue at West 19th Street.
According to police, the four suspects spray-painted a swastika on the business, as well as the phrase, "Zionism Out."
They also allegedly placed stickers on the restaurant that said, "The River," "The Sea," and "No Zionist Scum in NYC."
The Jewish co-owner of the restaurant, Maor Onono, told WABC-TV earlier this month that Israeli flags outside the restaurant were ripped down so many times he'd lost count. The newest flag had to be enclosed in plastic for protection.
Two swastikas were spray-painted in red and black on the plastic protecting the flag, photo posted to Facebook show.
"I've been here for 20 years and never experienced something like this," Onono said. "Always felt comfortable with me being Jewish, Israeli."
The vandalism comes amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and a rise in antisemitic crimes in the five boroughs.
Anti-Jewish crimes were up 100% in the city for the month of April, compared to April 2023, according to the latest NYPD statistics. They made up half of all reported hate crimes in the city in April, data shows.
Just days ago, the NYPD released images of a male suspected of assaulting two Hasidic boys as they played on a sidewalk in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
