Antisemitic graffiti in Bethesda: "The Jewish community will not be intimidated," says AJC director

BETHESDA - Antisemitic red graffiti was seen near the Trolley Trail in Bethesda on Monday, according to authorities.

Photos shared with FOX 5 also show hateful images and words against the Jewish community on a brick wall near Tuckerman Lane and Old Georgetown Rd. in North Bethesda. Both of the defaced areas are under investigation by police. 

"The antisemitic graffiti found in Bethesda today is a sickening reminder of the rise of antisemitism in our county. Not two weeks after the Montgomery County Council unanimously condemned hatred of Jews, antisemites are standing up loud and proud," said Alan Ronkin, director of the American Jewish Committee office in Washington, D.C. "The Jewish community will not be intimidated by these vicious messages. We stand together with our friends and allies as a proud and strong community. We thank local law enforcement for their attention to this incident and to local officials who facilitated having the graffiti removed."

"We are horrified and saddened by the recent displays of antisemitism in and around the Trolley Trail in Bethesda. We have seen a troubling rise in antisemitic incidents nationwide and, tragically, this deeply alarming trend is also occurring right here in Montgomery County," said the Montgomery County Council in a statement Monday. "The Council stands in strong solidarity with our Jewish community and condemns all acts of hate and religious bigotry. There is no tolerance in Montgomery County for these hateful actions and abhorrent, violent imagery attacking the Jewish community."