“I’m a Jewish elected official in Dallas and yesterday my home was defaced with hateful language and red triangles representing Palestine,” tweeted Dallas City Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn on Sunday.
Mendelsohn, an Independent, has represented Dallas City Council District 12 since June 17, 2019. Her current term ends in 2025. Her district is 47% White, 20% Hispanic, 19% African American, 10% Asian, 4% Multiracial, and under 1% Other.
? Super Bowl ad showing hateful graffiti at a Jewish home – Do you wonder if this really happens?
I’m a Jewish elected official in Dallas and yesterday my home was defaced with hateful language and red triangles representing Palestine. It included a disgusting pile of rocks and… https://t.co/RJFrJho2Ti pic.twitter.com/EVUmRJwXu3
— Cara Mendelsohn (@caraathome) February 11, 2024
“It included a disgusting pile of rocks and bricks and fake dead babies,” Mendelsohn described the damage, adding, “It’s unimaginable to me how our country has changed in the last 40 years. Folks, you’re going to need to stop sitting on the sidelines thinking everything will be ok. Things are not ok. Thank you to my very supportive friends, family, and community, Dallas Police Department, FBI, code compliance, and streets department for working to address this crime, and others including protests, threats, and harassment targeting me and my family.”
The red triangle was a Nazi concentration camp badge worn upright by prisoners of war, and worn inverted by political prisoners. According to Al Jazeera, pro-Hamas activists in the West have borrowed the Nazi symbol which they share as an emoji to indicate their support for the ant-Jewish atrocities of October 7, 2023.
Councilwoman Mendelsohn’s property was defaced with antisemitic graffiti that included those red triangles, accompanied by the heartful message: “baby killer.” A heap of rocks and bricks lay scattered, accompanied by what seemed to be imitation lifeless infants, at the site.
“I have tried to keep it out of the media, with consideration for my family. However, it has risen to a level that it is important for the community to understand the pervasiveness of these actions, in Dallas and across the world,” Mendelsohn texted.
Speaking to The Dallas Morning News, Mendelsohn recounted her upbringing in Dallas and her long-term residency in the city. Though she acknowledged the historical presence of antisemitism in the city, she admitted that it wasn’t until recent months, following the October attack on Israel, that she began to fear for her safety. She disclosed receiving a death threat herself, with her staff also facing similar threats during this period.
THE ANTI-HAMAS RESOLUTION
On October 11, 2023, The Dallas City Council approved by a vote of 14-0 a resolution supporting Israel in its war against Hamas, but according to The Dallas Morning News, many residents called for the council to support the Arabs of Gaza who were being attacked by Israel.
The resolution read: “The city of Dallas stands with Israel in its fight against Hamas, prays for those who have lost family members and friends, calls for the swift return of all hostages, and hopes for a lasting resolution.”
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson and several council members told the hollering protesters at City Hall that the resolution was a condemnation of Hamas and not a denouncement of the entire PA Arab community.
