MONTAUK, N.Y. (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Large swastikas and other antisemitic graffiti were found scrawled across Montauk on Monday—among the latest incidents of hate directed at New York's Jewish community amid the Israel-Hamas war.
Rabbi Josh Franklin, of the Jewish Center of the Hamptons, told 1010 WINS that it seemed the hateful graffiti was everywhere in the beach town—on fences, picnic tables, concession trailers, a restaurant and more.
"I never imagined as a rabbi I'd have to clean up graffiti like that or I'd see any graffiti like that," Franklin said.
Among the locations vandalized between late Sunday and early Monday was Naturally Good Foods, a health store and restaurant. Photos show swastikas on picnic tables and on a door of the business. More swastikas and the words "Jeden Die" were spray-painted on nearby fences, an apparent misspelling of Juden, the German word for Jews.
The graffiti was also found in a parking lot at Ditch Plains Beach. A concession stand near the beach had multiple swastikas spray-painted on it as well as the phrase "Free Palestine," with Palestine misspelled.
"I'd rushed over there immediately to help clean up the graffiti that was vile and sickening, really kind of felt like a punch in the face," Franklin said. "And what's worse, watching people walk by and see it felt like a continuous stream of people being punched in the face to see this."
Just hours after the graffiti was found and wiped away, the community showed support, with hundreds showing up to a peace rally later in the day.
"Local residents of Montauk were quick to create a rally to come together in love and support, and that's precisely what happened," Franklin said.
East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc said the community's quick response "means everything."
"It shows so much about our community," Scoyoc said. "We're a very inclusive and supportive community. And when any one of us is attacked in this way—felt uncomfortable, intimidated—the community rallied."
Scoyoc said he can't think of any incident like this happening in the area. He said residents were "just totally taken aback and appalled."
The supervisor received a phone call from Gov. Kathy Hochul, who showed her support.
"She was really happy to see our community rallied the way we did," Scoyoc said.
The incident comes amid a rise in antisemitism in New York and beyond since Hamas' deadly terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and the ensuing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday that she was deploying "all available" state resources to respond to the spike in hate, including $50 million in grants for local law enforcement and $25 million for security for houses of worship, community centers and other at-risk sites.
The governor also tapped Judge Jonathan Lippman to launch a comprehensive review of antisemitism and anti-discrimination on CUNY campuses, and she directed state police to expand their social media analysis unit to monitor threats to schools and colleges statewide.
Among other things, the state Division of Human Rights will also convene "community circles" to act as a safe space for dialogue.