Israeli soldier’s family in Missouri find their cars burned and 'Death to the IDF’ graffiti outside home

The family of an IDF soldier had three cars burned outside their house and the words, “Death to the IDF,” scrawled on the road in Clayton, Missouri.

On Wednesday morning, the family woke up to find the antisemitic message, including threats against the Clayton resident. Local police, together with the FBI, are investigating the incident as a suspected hate crime. Additional graffiti accusing the soldier of being a “murderer” was also found nearby, according to the Times of Israel.

On Monday, the FBI reported that antisemitic hate crimes in the United States are at their highest level since records began. Despite making up only two percent of the population, Jewish-Americans have been the target of almost 70% of religion-based hate crimes in the U.S. last year. 

Danny Cohn, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, stated, “This is more than vandalism; it is a hateful act of intimidation and the consequence of the dangerous rise in antisemitism," Ynet News reported. "When hateful words targeting Jews or Israel go unchecked, whether on social media or at public events, they embolden individuals to act. What started as rhetoric is increasingly escalating into threats and violence against our Jewish community."

Cohn continued, "Jewish Federation’s Community Security Team is working closely with law enforcement to investigate and is providing support to those directly affected. We are a resilient community, but we cannot fight antisemitism alone. We urge civic and community leaders to join us in speaking out clearly and forcefully against antisemitism in all its forms."

Jordan Kadosh of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) considered the attack to be a warning to the world. "When you hear somebody say globalize the intifada, this is what it looks like. It looks like burned-out cars on suburban streets in America. This is not confined. When somebody says they want to take this fight to jews around the world, they mean everywhere,” he said.

He added, “This is not going to deter us. Our resilience is not going to be pushed down. It is only going to grow stronger. We are not going to go anywhere. We are American jews. We’re here for the long haul. We are still a part of this country and we will speak up and use our voice. We are not going to live quietly because other people think we shouldn’t be here."

Bridget McAndrew, the mayor of Clayton, condemned the attack, calling it “an offensive and violent act of arson.” She added, “We will not tolerate harassment, intimidation, or violence based on someone’s nationality, race, religion, or ideology. In Clayton, we are committed to fostering a community where every resident feels safe, valued, and welcome. This is not just an aspiration – it is our responsibility as neighbors and as citizens. As such, I call upon all Clayton residents to join me in embracing the principles of respect, understanding, and inclusion that define who we are as a community."

ADL's senior vice president of Counter-Extremism and Intelligence, Oren Segal, confirmed that such incidents impact the whole of society.

“Hate crimes are deeply personal, harmful, and traumatizing – not only for the individual targeted, but for the entire community they’re part of,” he said in the Anti-Defamation League’s coverage of the FBI report, adding, “Addressing them requires a whole-of-government, whole-of-society response that centers victims and affected communities.”