Democratic lawmakers condemn vandalization of Washington synagogue 

Two Democratic House members from Washington condemned the vandalization of a synagogue in their state Wednesday.

“The vandalism at Herzl-Ner Tamid is horrifying and heartbreaking,” Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “I condemn this atrocity and stand with the Jewish community in the Ninth District and across the country. Our Jewish friends deserve to feel safe – especially at their places of worship.”

“I am disgusted by the antisemitic vandalism of the Herzl-Ner Tamid synagogue on Mercer Island,” Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) echoed in a separate post to X Wednesday evening. “We must speak out against & condemn hate in all forms,” she added.

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The synagogue, Herzl-Ner Tamid, located on Mercer Island, Wash., confirmed it was vandalized with graffiti “overnight” in a Facebook post Wednesday. It also said the FBI and local authorities “are all actively involved.”

“We are taking this incident very seriously,” the Facebook post read. “Despite this adversity, our commitment to leading fulfilled, connected Jewish lives remains steadfast.”

“Thank you for standing strong with us,” the post continued. “We would like to take a moment to thank everyone for the outpouring of support.”

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported a large rise in antisemitic incidents since the start of the current conflict between Israel and Hamas last month. The ADL said it documented 312 antisemitic incidents between Oct. 7 and 23. The figures marked a 388 percent increase over the same period a year before. 

“When conflict erupts in Israel, antisemitic incidents soon follow in the U.S. and globally,” Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of ADL, said in a release. 

“From white supremacists in California displaying antisemitic banners on highway overpasses to radical anti-Zionists harassing Jewish people because of their real or perceived support for the Jewish state, we are witnessing a disturbing rise in antisemitic activity here while the war rages overseas.”