Yana Rathman believes someone threw a rock that damaged the front window of her family's San Francisco home because an Israeli flag is displayed. (Courtesy) News Bay Area Two alleged hate incidents linked to displays of Israeli flags in East Bay and S.F. Facebook Twitter Email SMS WhatsApp Share By Emma Goss, Maya Mirsky | September 19, 2024 Sign up for Weekday J and get the latest on what's happening in the Jewish Bay Area. A driver on an East Bay freeway last week allegedly shouted death threats and racial slurs and pointed what appeared to be a gun at another driver with an Israeli flag on their car, according to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office. Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price announced Wednesday that Jesus Hernandez, 40, has been charged with a misdemeanor hate crime, felony criminal threats and misdemeanor brandishing of a replica firearm. “It is alleged that Mr. Hernandez threatened to kill, yelled racial slurs, and pointed a replica firearm at the victim. It is further alleged that the defendant used the replica firearm to assault the victim after exiting the freeway in the City of Fremont,” the district attorney’s office said in a press release. The incident occurred on Sept. 12, and the suspect remains in custody at the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin. He has been arraigned and is set to return to court for a plea hearing on Oct. 31. The press release did not contain the suspect’s city of residence. The district attorney’s office declined to comment further and would not specify which freeway or what time the incident took place. The Fremont Police Department did not immediately respond to J.’s request for information. Across the bay, a Jewish woman who displays an Israeli flag in her front window said her family’s home was vandalized on Tuesday night. San Francisco resident Yana Rathman told J. she is worried that the Israeli flag in the window led to the vandalism. On Tuesday night, Rathman said, someone threw a rock at the window of her family’s Victorian home, which displays both an Israeli flag and a Ukrainian flag. The impact cracked the window, but a shatterproof, anti-burglary film prevented the glass from shattering, she said. The vandalism happened after the first day of a deadly and unusual attack in Lebanon, widely attributed to Israel, in which thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah terrorists exploded. On Wednesday morning, Rathman filed a police report. A few hours later, she said, someone broke her video-enabled doorbell. “This is getting serious,” she said. It wasn’t the first time her home has been vandalized in recent months, Rathman said. Someone also graffitied her house with “Free Palestine” a few months ago. “We just cleared the graffiti, and that was it,” she said. Rathman noted that some neighbors have spoken out against the Israeli flag, which has been up for a year, while others have been sympathetic. Tuesday night’s incident left her rattled, but for now the flag is staying, Rathman and her husband, Vlad Mezhibovsky, have decided. “I told him a few times, ‘Should we take the flag down?’” Rathman said. “And he said ‘no.’” Emma Goss Emma Goss is a J. staff writer. She is a Bay Area native and an alum of Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School and Kehillah Jewish High School. Emma also reports for NBC Bay Area. Follow her on Twitter @EmmaAudreyGoss. Maya Mirsky Maya Mirsky is a J. Staff Writer based in Oakland. Also On J. Bay Area Thousands across region gather to mourn and remember Oct. 7 Organic Epicure Can food stem tide of memory loss in seniors? From the Archives How we've judged other Jews' holiday observances over the years Religion After Oct. 7, a Yom Kippur mourning ritual takes on fresh meaning Subscribe to our Newsletter I would like to receive the following newsletters: Weekday J From Our Sponsors (helps fund our journalism) Your Sunday J Holiday Bytes