8 hours ago
Israeli Consulate in Downtown Boston targeted with antisemitic flyers
'The Consulate General of Israel to New England is aware of and closely monitoring a disturbing incident in which inflammatory flyers — containing the names and personal details of Consulate employees — were distributed in the City of Boston,' the statement said. 'The Consulate strongly condemns this shameful and dangerous act.'
Advertisement
Officials from the Consulate, which is based in Downtown Boston, immediately notified city and state law enforcement, according to the statement issued Wednesday.
A spokesperson for Massachusetts State Police said the agency's Hate Crimes Awareness and Response Team, as well as the Commonwealth Fusion Center, which collects and analyzes information related to terrorism, 'are aware of the matter and continue to monitor for threats to the Consulate.'
'Boston, Newton, and Brookline Police as well as the Boston Regional Intelligence Center have primary jurisdiction in this matter,' the state police spokesperson said in an email Friday night.
Boston police could not be reached for comment.
The Anti-Defamation League New England condemned the 'deeply troubling' incident in a social media post.
'The distribution of photos and personal details of Israeli Consulate staff on flyers encouraging individuals to 'tell them to leave Boston' is nothing short of dangerous and must be called out,' the post on X said.
Advertisement
Consul General Benjamin Sharoni was among those targeted by the flyers.
'When someone comes to your doorstep, puts up posters with your photo and personal information, and seeks to mobilize others to create a hostile environment around you— it is bullying, it is an intimidation, and a call to hostile action,' Sharoni said in the consulate's statement.
Consulate officials said 'this deplorable act is especially concerning in light of recent horrific incidents where anti-Israel incitement has escalated into antisemitism, hate crimes, and acts of violence and terror, including right here in our region,' according to the statement.
In Brookline,
In Washington, D.C. last month, two Israeli embassy staffers
The New England consulate's statement thanked local law enforcement for 'their swift response and continued cooperation, as well as their commitment to deepening security efforts around this matter.'
'We are certain that every effort will be made to ensure the safety and security of our team, our work, and other diplomatic missions operating in the City,' consulate's statement said.
The statement also sought to make a firm stand.
'Any attempt to intimidate or disrupt our work will be met with firm resolve and our unwavering commitment to continue serving and further strengthening the bilateral relationship between Israel and this region,' the consulate's statement said.
Advertisement
The ADL echoed sentiments expressed by consulate officials about the timing of the distribution of the flyers.
'It is deeply troubling in the current climate, where anti-Israel incitement has directly led to the brutal murder of two Israeli embassy staff members in DC,' the ADL's post said.
The distribution of photos and personal details of Israeli Consulate staff on flyers encouraging individuals to 'tell them to leave Boston' is nothing short of dangerous and must be called out. It is deeply troubling in the current climate, where anti-Israel incitement has…
— ADL New England (@ADL_NewEngland)
After Sunday's incident at The Butcherie near Coolidge Corner, Governor Maura Healey addressed the attack on social media, saying it was concerning and unacceptable.
'Acts of violence and intimidation have no place in our communities,' Healey's statement said. 'We stand with our Jewish neighbors against antisemitism. Everyone deserves to live, pray and do business without fear in Massachusetts.'
Brookline Police Chief Jennifer Paster denounced the 'hateful' attack.
'This was not simply an act of property damage, and it is not simply vandalism,' Paster said in a statement Sunday. 'There is no doubt that this crime was a targeted, hateful message meant to intimidate a Jewish-owned business and our broader Jewish community.'
Paster said a preliminary investigation found that two masked individuals walked to The Butcherie from Coolidge Street and returned in that same direction after throwing the brick through a window displaying a map of Israel.
In April, the ADL reported that antisemitic incidents continued to occur at record numbers in New England last year.
That followed a
The ADL, which began tracking antisemitic activity in 1979, said 2024 marked the fifth year in a row that such incidents increased and broke the previous record for the region.
Advertisement
The group said New England has seen a 213-percent increase in antisemitic incidents since 2022.
The Algemeiner Journal, a New York-based newspaper,
Tonya Alanez can be reached at
