Israeli Flag Taken From Hoboken City Hall In 'Brazen Theft': Mayor

HOBOKEN, NJ — Hoboken's mayor is speaking out after unknown thieves took an Israeli flag flying at half-staff outside City Hall in what he called a "brazen theft."

Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla said two people stole the flag around 10 p.m. Friday. According to Bhalla, the flag was placed there in recognition of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by the militant group Hamas, which left at least 1,400 Israelis dead and more than 220 people taken hostage.

In a statement, Bhalla said he was "disturbed" by the theft.

"I want to make it unequivocally clear that we will not tolerate such behavior in our community," Bhalla said. "Hoboken is a diverse city that has always stood for fairness and inclusivity. We take pride in the fact that our community embraces people from all walks of life and from all corners of the world."

Bhalla said the city filed a police report, and the theft remains under investigation. Meanwhile, the United Synagogue of Hoboken joined Bhalla on Tuesday to re-raise the flag outside of City Hall.

"Antisemitism, or any form of hatred and bigotry, has no place in our city and we are fully committed to ensuring that every resident and visitor feels safe and respected in Hoboken," Bhalla said.

Anyone with information about the theft is asked to contact Det. John Quinones at 201-420-2100, ext. 3182.