Police have arrested one person and are looking for two others after some people were seen burning American and Israeli flags outside the Israeli consulate in Manhattan. Jahki Lodgson-McCray, 20, was arrested and charged with several offenses, including reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct.
The consulate said that burning the flags showed hatred towards Israel and the U.S. The NYPD has increased security around the consulate. Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry called the suspects “cowards” and said their behavior won’t be tolerated.
The NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force is investigating. The suspects used an “unknown accelerant” to burn the flags in a bike lane, endangering bikers and pedestrians.
This incident happened during a time of tension in the Jewish community due to protests and violence related to the war in Gaza. Another 20-year-old, Zuhdi Ahmed, was charged with a hate crime for allegedly hitting a man holding a Jewish flag with a rock at Columbia University in April.
This week, vandals also threw red paint at the homes of Jewish people who work at the Brooklyn Museum.