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A suspected antisemitic hate crime is under investigation in Clayton, Missouri, after three vehicles were set on fire and graffiti reading “Death to the IDF” was discovered outside the home of a U.S. citizen who previously served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The attack occurred early Tuesday morning and appears to have deliberately targeted the man and his family.
According to the Clayton Police Department, responding officers discovered three vehicles had been damaged by a fire “believed to have been intentionally set.” The department confirmed that “antisemitic graffiti [was] written in the roadway” and said it believes the victim “was specifically targeted.” The incident is being investigated as a hate crime, and the FBI and St. Louis Regional Bomb and Arson Unit have joined the investigation. No injuries were reported.
The identity of the victim has not been publicly released. KMOV 4 News reported that graffiti at the scene accused him of being a “murderer.” The outlet described the message as “a direct attack on an individual” and blurred part of the text due to its threatening nature.
Leo Terrell, head of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, wrote on X, “I am outraged. Antisemitic violence has no place in America, not in St. Louis and not anywhere. We will pursue every avenue to bring the perpetrators to justice. If you commit antisemitic hate crimes, you will be caught. And you will be held accountable.”
Today the Israeli Embassy alerted me to a horrific antisemitic attack in St. Louis. An American citizen who served in the IDF returned to his family home. Soon after, he and his family were targeted.
I reviewed graphic footage of vehicles belonging to the family and their…
— Leo Terrell (@LeoTerrellDOJ) August 5, 2025
Terrell told JNS that after reviewing footage of the scene, he found it “offensive” and immediately contacted the FBI and informed Attorney General Pam Bondi. “The FBI — I cannot disclose what happened, but they are on the ground along with local authorities, and the perpetrators are going to face justice,” he said.
He called the incident “pure, unadulterated hate,” adding, “I saw hate because of one’s religion, and I saw hate for an American who served as an IDF member in the Israeli army.”
The attack drew strong condemnation from local Jewish leaders. 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. When hateful words targeting Jews or Israel go unchecked, whether on social media or at public events, they embolden individuals to act.”
Clayton Mayor Bridget McAndrew condemned the incident as “an offensive and violent act of arson.” She stated, “We will not tolerate harassment, intimidation, or violence based on someone’s nationality, race, religion, or ideology.”
The attack came as the FBI released new statistics showing antisemitic hate crimes in the United States hit a record high in 2024, with 1,938 anti-Jewish incidents, accounting for nearly 70% of all religion-based hate crimes.
Asked whether the act could be considered political rather than religious in nature, Terrell told JNS: “I find that hypothetical… offensive. […] First Amendment speech, whether it is anti-Israel or antisemitic, is thrown out the window when you have that type of conduct. It’s criminal.”
He added: “This is the biggest problem that people have had — conflating First Amendment speech with illegal conduct.”
