Honolulu police opened
a criminal property damage investigation after a swastika was found drawn on a campaign poster for Ikaika Anderson, a candidate for lieutenant governor.
There are no suspects at this time, an anyone with information is asked to contact HPD or CrimeStoppers,” said Michelle Yu, an HPD spokeswoman, in a statement to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Anderson released a statement Sunday saying the symbol that was used is offensive and “very hurtful” to the Jewish community. “I took this opportunity to turn it into a lesson for my family, in explaining to my children that symbols like this are hateful, offensive, and just plain mean. In
Hawaii, we need to show aloha to each other, not hate,” said Anderson.
Anderson is the second candidate targeted with antisemitic symbols and rhetoric in the past seven months.
In July, Lt. Gov. Josh Green, a candidate for governor, was the target of an antisemitic campaign by an unknown group aligned with protesters demonstrating outside of his condominium in opposition to COVID-19 vaccines and mask mandates. In that case, Green’s staff and community members found flyers bordered at the top and bottom by a handwritten banner featuring a repeating pattern that read “JEW” next to the Magen David, the Star of David.
In Anderson’s case, Peter H. Hoffenberg, a history professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, who has helped document antisemitic vandalism and threats against the Jewish community in Hawaii, notified campaign officials and the police about the antisemitic vandalism.
Hoffenberg told the Star-
Advertiser that in recent years he has documented up to 10 instances of swastikas or hate speech directed at Jewish people on construction barriers, lamp posts, park benches, school play areas and public walls.
