California Police Treat Vandalism of Israel Flag as Hate Crime

The Davis Police Department said it was treating as a hate crime an incident in which a man sliced and removed an Israeli flag from outside a home in the Californian city on Friday, April 12.

Releasing security video of the incident, the department said it was also aware of a second similar incident nearby which it also classed as a potential hate crime.

“Both incidents are being investigated as hate crimes because it is believed the crimes were meant to terrorize the residents of these homes because of actual or perceived religious beliefs,” the department wrote on Facebook.

Jacob Bernhardt, the owner of the flag, told the Davis Enterprise he hung it outside his home in Claremont Drive to show support for the Israeli families affected by the October 7 Hamas attack.

“It was really creepy, seeing someone walk up to our house with a knife at one in the morning,” Bernhardt told the Enterprise. “I was pretty disturbed.” Credit: City of Davis Police Department via Storyful

Video transcript

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