Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said his home in Bellevue, Wash., was vandalized Thursday night over the current conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.
“Last night, my house was vandalized by people advocating for a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza,” Smith said in a statement in a Friday press release. “This attack is sadly reflective of the coarsening of the political discourse in our country, and is completely unwarranted, unnecessary, and harmful to our political system.”
“Throughout the course of my career, my staff and I have continually met with groups from all parts of the political spectrum, including Pro-Palestinian and left-wing activists, and I remain open to meeting with these groups and discussing our differences and where we can come together in a productive and peaceful way,” Smith continued in the release.
Smith’s claim of vandalism comes shortly after a synagogue in his congressional district was vandalized last month, which he condemned alongside fellow Washington House member Rep. Suzan DelBene (D).
“The vandalism at Herzl-Ner Tamid is horrifying and heartbreaking,” Smith said in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “I condemn this atrocity and stand with the Jewish community in the Ninth District and across the country. Our Jewish friends deserve to feel safe – especially at their places of worship.”
The synagogue, Herzl-Ner Tamid, located on Mercer Island, confirmed it was vandalized with graffiti in a previous Facebook post.
“We are taking this incident very seriously,” the post read. “Despite this adversity, our commitment to leading fulfilled, connected Jewish lives remains steadfast.”
“Thank you for standing strong with us,” the post continued. “We would like to take a moment to thank everyone for the outpouring of support.”