Recent instances of Jew-hatred in Baltimore are “despicable,” and those responsible will be held accountable, Brandon Scott, the city’s mayor, stated on Thursday.
“These recent incidents are a horrifying display of hate and simply will not be tolerated in the City of Baltimore,” Scott said. “Our Baltimore Jewish community has endured violence, vandalism and other acts of hate that only seek to intimidate and threaten.”
The mayor said that the city stands with the victims “who have endured these acts and with the broader Jewish community who are deeply impacted by the concerning rise in these types of incidents.”
Richard Worley, the Baltimore police commissioner, stated that the department has seen an “alarming increase of hate crimes towards our Jewish community, to include antisemitism speech, vandalism, intimidation and even violence.”
“We will not tolerate any form of hate, towards any community or any person in our city,” he said. “Any individual found to be responsible will and must be held accountable, and we will work with our local, state and federal partners to pursue justice to the fullest extent of the law for these incidents.”
Last week, WBFF, a Fox affiliate in Baltimore, reported that “Baltimore’s Jewish community is struggling with a soaring number of antisemitic acts.” And WBAL-TV, a Baltimore NBC affiliate, reported on Thursday that antisemitic graffiti was found vandalizing Jewish homes earlier in the week.
“This can’t be tolerated,” Howard Libit, executive director of the Baltimore Jewish Council, said, per WBAL-TV. “We need to stand together as minority communities against this hate.”
