Court documents from the U.S. District Court in Western Pennsylvania reveal alleged antisemitic vandal Mohamad Hamad was released on a $50,000 unsecured bond by Magistrate Judge Kezia O.L. Taylor after he paid a $50,000 unsecured bond on Thursday.
Hamad was charged in on October 25 with committing vandalism at two Jewish community buildings in Pittsburgh alongside an alleged associate named Talya Lubit, with both facing one count of defacing and damaging religious real property and one count of conspiracy.
According to the FBI affidavit filed to support the charges against Hamad, Chabad of Squirrel Hill reported graffiti of the words “Jews 4 Palestine” with an inverted triangle were left on its building, directly below the Chabad sign, “and a few feet way from a large menorah.”
The inverted triangle left in the graffiti signifies an Israeli military target that Hamas intends to strike, but has since been adopted by pro-Palestine protesters in the West.
The FBI affidavit explains the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh reported similar graffiti on the same day, when its sign was vandalized to read “Jewish Federation Funds Genocide” and “Jews Hate Zionists.”
According to the FBI, Hamad purchased the spray paint from Walmart, and was captured on security camera footage as he drove to the store in a topless convertible that was captured by other cameras used by Chabad.
The investigators further claimed Hamad “discussed his desire to travel overseas to engage in violent acts,” during text-based discussions with his alleged accomplice, Lubit, via the encrypted messaging application Signal.
“I don’t see myself living long,” Hamad allegedly wrote in one message, while the alleged vandal wrote that his “heart yearns for being with my brothers overseas” in another.
Hamad reportedly wrote, “My ultimate goal in life is Shaheed,” or to become a Muslim who dies while fulfilling religious commandments, in another message to Lubit.
The affidavit also claims Hamad purchased explosive materials the month prior to his vandalism, and discussed creating and detonating homemade explosives with another Signal user.
In other text messages, investigators say Hamad referred to himself as a “Hamas operative” while celebrating the theft of a banner that combined the flags of the United States and Israel.
“Imagine the terror they saw if they had cams,” Hamad reportedly wrote. “Hamas operative ripping off their flags in white suburbia.”
Investigators further reveal Hamad, a dual citizen of the United States and Lebanon, was a member of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard until being “barred from the facility” where he was stationed for unclear reasons in September.
The vandalism came after anti-Israel demonstrations at Pennsylvania college campuses that coincided with allegations of antisemitic insults and intimidation against Jewish students.
It also occurred shortly before Governor Josh Shapiro was passed over by Vice President Kamala Harris in favor of Governor Tim Walz, with Republicans arguing the Harris campaign was concerned about Democratic voters rejecting Shapiro over his support for Israel and Jewish faith. Shapiro has denied their claims.
The confirmed release of Hamad comes as federal officials face scrutiny for their apparent inaction in Illinois, where a 22-year-old illegal immigrant from Mauritania allegedly shot an orthodox Jewish man before screaming “Allahu Akbar” in October.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
