Two people, including a self-described 'Hamas operative,' have been arrested for vandalizing Jewish buildings in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the New York Post reported.
Mohamad Hamad, a dual US-Lebanese citizen who identified with Hamas, and accomplice Talya Lubit, are charged with spraying pro-Hamas graffiti on a synagogue and Jewish community center. Hamad also allegedly purchased explosives for a future attack.
The report noted that Hamas donated to members of the 'Squad,' a group of far-left Democratic Congressmen and women known for their extreme opposition to Israel. He donated to Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, both of whom have been credibly accused of antisemitism for multiple scandals. Lubit also called Jews "enemies."
Hamad told an individual who is known to the FBI on the Signal messaging app, “Imagine the terror they saw if they had cams. Hamas operative ripping off their flags in white suburbia.” He also expressed a desire to become a martyr on Signal.
In September, a Jewish student at the University of Pittsburgh was assaulted off-campus by a group of six to eight men who used antisemitic and anti-Israel language during the attack.
On Aug. 29, a man wearing a keffiyeh and wielding a glass bottle was arrested after allegedly injuring two Jewish students, who were both wearing kippahs. The two students were heading to the campus Hillel building for a Shabbat dinner, the Hillel Jewish University Center said in a statement at the time.