A rabbi and his son were sentenced to a $50 fine and community service for vandalizing a mural widely seen as antisemitic.
A Milwaukee rabbi and his son received light punishment Wednesday for tearing down a pro-Hamas mural that equated the Star of David with a swastika, an act many in the Jewish community viewed as a justified stand against overt anti-Semitism disguised as political speech.
Peter Mehler, 74, a retired rabbi, pleaded no contest to misdemeanor criminal damage to property and was fined just $50. His son, Zechariah Mehler, 43, who pleaded guilty in December, received a withheld sentence and was ordered to complete 25 hours of community service. The pair must also pay $1,000 in total restitution to the property owner.
Surveillance video captured the Mehlers using an axe, sledgehammer and pry bar to dismantle the large mural, which depicted a Star of David morphing into a Nazi swastika near Holton and Locust in September 2024. Zechariah Mehler was seen giving the camera a double middle-finger gesture before returning the next day to finish the job.
The building owner, Ihsan Atta, a Hamas supporter, claimed the artwork was intended to highlight the war in Gaza and cost him more than $12,000. Critics, however, described it as blatant antisemitic hate speech that crossed into incitement against Jews. The Mehlers maintained they acted out of moral necessity, fearing the imagery would escalate violence against their community.
In court, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Jack Davila acknowledged the broader Middle East tensions but emphasized that the hearing would not resolve global conflicts.
He interrupted Atta after the owner repeatedly expressed support for Hamas and warned against unrelated statements. After several warnings, Atta stormed out of court before returning. He was not punished for his outbursts.
Before he was sentenced, Zechariah Mehler told the court he remains convinced the image threatened Jewish safety but submitted to the rule of law.
“I was convinced it would eventually escalate into violence against my community,” he said.
