'Blood on your hands': Republican congressman’s office vandalized with anti-Israel message

Only a week prior, a Democratic representative in the local area had their office vandalized with similar messages.

U.S. Representative Mike Lawler (R-NY) walks to a House Republican Conference meeting as Republicans work towards electing a new Speaker of the House on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., October 9, 2023. (photo credit: EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/REUTERS)
U.S. Representative Mike Lawler (R-NY) walks to a House Republican Conference meeting as Republicans work towards electing a new Speaker of the House on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., October 9, 2023.
(photo credit: EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/REUTERS)

Republican Congressman Mike Lawler discovered his office was vandalized with anti-Israel messages on December 27, according to multiple media sources. Stickers had been placed on the Blue Hill Plaza building, which houses the office of the lawmaker.

“Yesterday, the front entrance of our district office building was defaced with messages attacking me for my support for Israel. I will not be intimidated & I will not waver from supporting our greatest ally as they fight to stop Hamas' terror once & for all & rescue their people,” Lawler shared on X.

The vandalism, much of which called for a ceasefire, came only a week after Hamas killed a bid to instill another ceasefire agreement. "We will not hold any form of talks over [a] prisoners exchange under the continuation of the Israeli genocide war," senior Hamas leader Ghazi Hamad said on Telegram.

 Photos of more than a thousand people abducted, missing or killed in the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023 in southern Israel, are displayed in the Smolarz Auditorium at Tel Aviv University, on October 22, 2023 (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)
Photos of more than a thousand people abducted, missing or killed in the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023 in southern Israel, are displayed in the Smolarz Auditorium at Tel Aviv University, on October 22, 2023 (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

"The escalation of rhetoric, manifesting itself in defacing government offices, is severely wrong and unfortunate, and it's not solving the challenge here," Lawler said the day after the incident, according to Westchester News 12. Lawler went on to tell the source that the incident had strengthened his support for Israel.

A pattern of attacks

Local police told News 12 that they were still investigating the incident, which followed a similar pattern to an attack that occurred a week prior on the office of Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan. Ryan’s office had been spray painted with accusations of him being a “war criminal” and calls for a ceasefire.

A month prior, anti-Israel protesters vandalized the White House gates and attempted to scale the wall in protest of the US's support for Israel.