An alleged “Hamas operative” accused of vandalizing synagogues and Jewish cultural facilities with pro-Palestinian graffiti and constructing an explosive machine supported and donated to members of Congress’s “Squad,” the New York Submit reported.
Mohamad Hamad, 23-year-old a Lebanese American twin citizen who lives in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, was arrested Wednesday together with an alleged confederate, 24-year-old Jewish anti-Israel activist Talya Lubit.
The pair are accused of defacing Jewish buildings in Pittsburgh on July 29 by spray-painting “Jews 4 Palestine” and the pro-Hamas inverted triangle image on the outside of the Chabad of Squirrel Hill synagogue and academic heart and writing that the Jewish Federation “Funds Genocide” on the nonprofit’s signal.
The defaced signal was additionally made to learn, “[Love] Jews, Hate Zionists.”
FBI and Pittsburgh police investigators decided that Hamad had bought the pink spray paint used within the vandalism the day earlier than the crimes have been dedicated, and his car was captured on surveillance cameras at each scenes, in keeping with the Submit.
Lubit, who recognized as an “agnostic Jew” from an Israeli household in a web-based “couch-surfing” profile, is accused of being Hamad’s confederate within the spray-paintings.
Search warrants executed on the residences of Hamad and Lubit allegedly revealed proof on their cell telephones, with the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace of the Western District of Pennsylvania saying they messaged one another to plan their exercise and “particularly mentioned deciding on Jewish targets.”
In a single textual content considered by investigators, Hamad allegedly referred to himself as a “Hamas operative” and despatched an image of himself sporting a Hamas image headband to an unnamed third occasion.
In messages exchanged with one other particular person earlier in July, Hamad allegedly talked about constructing an explosive machine and despatched a video of a take a look at detonation.
U.S. Lawyer Eric G. Olshan introduced that each suspects have been charged with damaging non secular property and conspiracy to commit an offense towards the USA.
“Defacing non secular property isn’t protected speech—it’s a crime,” Olshan stated in his workplace’s press launch.
Members of our communities ought to be capable of apply their religion with out concern of being focused for his or her non secular affiliation, together with, as alleged right here, with a logo related to a terrorist group. Defending the civil rights of the folks of Western Pennsylvania is of paramount significance to this workplace and our companions in legislation enforcement, and we’re devoted to pursuing justice on behalf of the victims of those crimes.
Hamad was a member of the Pennsylvania Air Nationwide Guard with the 171st Upkeep Squadron stationed in Moon Township till he was “barred from the power” on September 13, Fox Information reported.
In accordance with FEC information discovered by the New York Submit, he donated $10 to “Squad” member Rep. Ilhan Omar, (D-MN) in November 2023 as she demanded a cease-fire from Israel following the October 7 Hamas assault.
Hamad additionally contributed $5 to Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) in April 2024, after Congress censured her for justifying Hamas’s slaughtering of civilians as “resistance” towards an “apartheid authorities.”
Regardless of the message spray painted on the Jewish Federation’s signal claiming that they “love” Jews and solely hate Zionists, Lubit allegedly wrote “I can actually really feel myself beginning to see Jews as my enemies,” in a message to Hamad simply earlier than the vandalism passed off.
“Each day I feel, ‘I don’t need to be Jewish anymore,’” she added.
Courtroom paperwork obtained by the Submit additionally revealed a picture allegedly shared by Lubit, exhibiting a Nazi swastika on an Israeli flag with the assertion, “Details.”
Paperwork additionally say Lubit shared a picture of the Nazi swastika in the course of an Israeli flag, writing “Details.”