Overview

• The museum said both the Israeli flag and a planned hostage-focused sign will go back up within the next week following two spray-paint attacks.
• The exterior banner reading “The Weitzman stands with Israel” was vandalized with red paint on Aug. 18 and again early Monday before being cleaned.
• After initially moving to replace the flag with the hostage sign, the museum shifted course following public pushback over perceptions of yielding to vandals.
• President and CEO Dan Tadmor said the institution remains “a proudly Jewish and proudly Zionist” museum and rejected the idea that it would retreat from its stance.
• Officials continue to condemn the incidents near Independence Mall, with Gov. Josh Shapiro weighing in, as federal attention follows a June arrest over prior threats and reports note similar vandalism at other Jewish museums.