Two antisemitic signs, one reading “From the River to the Sea, F— Israel & Jews,” were spotted on a front lawn in New Hyde Park and reported by a community member to StopAntisemitism in the evening of May 7.
The signage was located on Old Courthouse Road outside an upscale home, according to a photo of the signs posted by StopAntisemitism on Twitter.
“We’ve never seen anything quite like this in the area,” Liora Rez, founder and executive director of watchdog organization StopAntisemitism, said.
She said there are no other reported New Hyde Park incidents in the StopAntisemitism database.
An employee in the Nassau County Police Department Public Information Office said there was no relevant information available in the database. Efforts to reach the public information supervisor for more details were unavailing.
“From the river to the sea” is a controversial phrase with a much-debated meaning, often used in recent times during pro-Palestinian protests. It refers to the territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, which includes Israel. Some pro-Israel voices have labeled this slogan an antisemitic one that calls for the destruction of the state of Israel, while some pro-Palestinian voices have said this phrase is a call for peace and equality.
The second lawn sign is split in half vertically. The left side reads “Jew” with blue and white coloring and the right side reads “Hindu” with orange, white and green coloring. Much of the writing on this sign is illegible, though it does clearly include a curse word.
Reported antisemitic incidents have spiked in recent months according to Rez, who said her organization has seen a 1500% increase in reported incidents since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
Rez listed multiple incidents of verbal and physical attacks on Jewish people and bomb threats against temples that have occurred on Long Island just since that October attack.
“It was like the band-aid was just ripped off [after Oct. 7] and the floodgates just opened,” Rez said.
That is why Rez said community members must report any incidents of antisemitism in their own neighborhoods. Often, only the most “grotesque” hate crimes are reported, Rez said, which allows other incidents to be swept under the rug. The business founder said community members often fear retribution, which is why her organization guarantees confidentiality.