SAUGERTIES, N.Y. — Police detectives are investigating pro-Palestinian graffiti that was painted on two previously blank adjoining state Route 212 billboards near the intersection of Kings Highway, acting Chief Lou Barbaria said Monday.
The words painted on the Saugerties billboard were part of a poem by Mosab Abu Toha, a poet, short story writer and essayist from Gaza. They were first posted by Toha on X (formerly Twitter) on Oct. 22. The poem was an apparent reaction to the Israeli military response to Hamas’ incursion into Israel on Oct. 7 which killed at least 1,400 Israelis.
Toha wrote, and the person responsible for the graffiti quoted, “The houses were not Hamas. The kids were not Hamas.” The graffiti included Toha’s name.
Reached Monday morning, Barbaria said that, while illegal, the graffiti “doesn’t really fit the category of a hate crime because there’s no threats or anything. But, it is, under the circumstances, we’re taking it very seriously. Like I said, it’s the first incident that we know of in the town and we just want to make sure that we nip it in the bud and address it before it gets any worse.” He said the graffiti probably was made overnight Saturday, Nov. 4, into Sunday, Nov. 5.
Toha was most recently published in The New Yorker online in a poem titled “Obit,” which will appear in the magazine’s Nov. 13 print edition. According to the New Yorker, Toha “is a Palestinian poet from Gaza. His début poetry book, “Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear,” was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and won an American Book Award.”
No other incidents of this kind have been reported to police in Saugerties, Barbaria said. “This is the first, as far as I know, and the department knows, this is the first time that anything like this occurred in the town. We haven’t heard of any threats or comments made in Saugerties,” he said.
Nevertheless, since Oct. 7, the chief said his department has provided police protection during services at the Woodstock Jewish Congregation on Glasco Turnpike. “Right after Oct. 7 our patrols were put on notice. We did this on our own to go, even when they’re not holding services, to just check the building up on Glasco Turnpike. … We reached out to the congregation and we’re providing security at the services,” Barbaria said. “So far we haven’t encountered any issues up there.”
Barbaria asked any member of the public who was in the vicinity Saturday evening into Sunday morning and may have seen the perpetrators to contact Saugerties police at (845) 246-9800. “If anybody saw anything or saw any vehicles (during that time) in the area of the billboard, please contact us.” Barbaria said.