Hudson Valley Republican Rep. Mike Lawler this week became the second New York lawmaker to have his district office defaced in response to his support for Israel after South Bronx Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres , suffered an incident of vandalism involving a “bloody” Baby Jesus doll.
“Yesterday, the main entrance to our district office building was defaced with messages attacking me for my support of Israel,” Lawler, 37, said. published on Thursday in Xsharing images of stickers on which epithets including “KILLER BOY” were scrawled.
The messages also read “BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS MIKE LAWLER,” “GAZA IS HALF CHILDREN,” “Over 25,000 KILLED,” and “CEASE FIRE.”
“I will not be intimidated and will not stop supporting our greatest ally as he fights to stop Hamas terrorism once and for all and rescue its people,” the freshman congressman added.
Republican Rep. Mike Lawler became the second New York lawmaker whose district office was defaced this week for pro-Israel views after Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres suffered a vandalism incident. AP “Yesterday, the main entrance to our district office building was defaced with messages attacking me for my support of Israel,” Lawler posted Thursday on X. X/@RepMikeLawler
A spokesman for the New York Republican said vandals defaced his Pearl River office, one of two he maintains in the 17th Congressional District.
Lawler also told The Post that his office “continues to receive emails, social media messages and voicemails that certainly disagree with my position on Israel,” but that he is “not concerned at this time that this will escalate into physical violence.” ”.
“But I think there’s no doubt that you see a clear escalation in the tactics used by these Hamas supporters and, really, just vile anti-Semitism that has spread throughout the country,” he added.
The messages also read “BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS MIKE LAWLER,” “GAZA IS HALF CHILDREN,” “Over 25,000 KILLED,” and “CEASE FIRE.” X/@RepMikeLawler
“You can see on the inside: the Democratic Party is splintering, and especially younger people, people on college campuses, involved in, you know, pro-Hamas tendencies.”
Polls show Democratic support for Israel has declined as the war between the Jewish state and Hamas approaches the third anniversary of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks that killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, including the least 33 US citizens.
“As I have said repeatedly, I want the Palestinian people to be free. I want them to be free from their oppressors, which is Hamas, a terrorist organization that has been the governing body in Gaza for almost two decades and has used the Palestinian people as human shields,” Lawler emphasized. “That a lot of these people don’t mind that is surprising.”
In a December 26 interview with CNN, Torres further expressed “concern that intimidation and hate speech could easily turn into violence” over the war between Israel and Hamas. Robert Miller
The Israel Defense Forces have killed more than 21,000 Palestinians through bombing and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip, a densely populated urban region.
That death toll, reported by Hamas-controlled Gaza’s Health Ministry, does not differentiate between civilian and terrorist deaths, but a senior Israeli military official previously confirmed that approximately two civilians have died for every Hamas terrorist killed.
Reports have shown that Hamas operates and stores weapons within civilian infrastructure such as mosques, hospitals and schools, the latter of which receives US funding through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
“As I have said repeatedly, I want the Palestinian people to be free. I want them to be free from their oppressors, which is Hamas, a terrorist organization,” Lawler emphasized. CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
“I have been pushing for new hearings on UNRWA, as well as to strip them of all American tax money,” Lawler said. “I don’t think UNRWA should receive a single cent from the United States. “There is no doubt that they have been embezzling funds and that, in many respects, they have had a working relationship with Hamas.”
The House Foreign Affairs Committee is expected to launch an investigation into the UN organization in the coming weeks, The Post reported, as the House must also negotiate with the Senate over increased military aid to Israel.
The House passed a standalone $14.3 billion aid bill for Israel in November, but talks broke down between Senate Republicans and Democrats as they sought to include the aid in a larger $110 billion package with funding for Ukraine. , Taiwan and US border security.
Lawler emphasized that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) should not further delay funding military aid and that “the threat of Hamas must be eliminated.” CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Lawler emphasized that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) should not further delay funding military aid and that “the threat of Hamas must be eliminated.”
“Over the last 15 years, there have been eight ceasefires, each time violated by Hamas,” Lawler said. “Obviously, in the long term, I would like to see a two-state solution, but that can only happen if the Palestinians recognize Israel’s right to exist and if they recognize the threat that Hamas poses.”
The congressman added that “pro-Hamas activists” had also “targeted and tried to interrupt” him and Torres during a recent event held at 92nd Street Y, demanding that both advocate for an immediate ceasefire from Israel.
The congressman added that “pro-Hamas activists” had also “targeted and tried to interrupt” him and Torres during a recent event held at 92nd Street Y, demanding an immediate ceasefire. CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
“But as I said there and as I have said repeatedly, if we want a ceasefire, there is a very simple way to achieve it: Hamas must surrender,” Lawler said. “The fact that none of these people are calling on Hamas to surrender says a lot about where their sympathies lie.”
Torres, 35, said “anti-Israel extremists” had also vandalized his Bronx borough office on Christmas Day, using blood red paint to stain a doll depicting Jesus Christ.
“Covered in ‘blood’ is a doll that symbolizes Jesus, whom the vandals describe as a ‘Palestinian messiah child,’” Torres posted on X, sharing an image of the disfigurement.
Torres, 35, said “anti-Israel extremists” had also vandalized his Bronx borough office on Christmas Day, using blood red paint to stain a doll depicting Jesus Christ. X/Ritchie Torres
“It appears that the escalation of intimidation and incitement against members of Congress is going in a dangerous direction. “I, for my part, will not be intimidated.”
In a December 26 interview with CNN, Torres further warned that “intimidation and hate speech could easily escalate into violence.”
“Most members of Congress, like me, do not have security. “We are easy targets,” Torres said. “And I’m concerned that, you know, a violent assault or even the assassination of a member of Congress is not a question of ‘if,’ but of ‘when.'”
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