Two Brothers Charged With Hate Crime for Stealing and Burning Israeli Flag in New York

Two brothers from Hornell, New York, were arrested and charged with a hate crime after allegedly stealing an Israeli flag from a flagpole outside a business and burning it at their home. The suspects, 28-year-old Cormac Thomas Banco and his 31-year-old brother Declan Peter Banco, were taken into custody early Saturday morning following an investigation into the theft on Park Drive in Hornell. Authorities reported that the flag was taken to the brothers' residence where it was set on fire. Both men face hate crime charges including theft, property damage, and evidence destruction, with Cormac Banco additionally charged with resisting arrest. They were held overnight in the Steuben County Jail.

Hornell is a small town of about 8,000 residents located roughly 90 kilometers south of Rochester in western New York State. Historically known as a key railway junction and nicknamed "Maple City" for its surrounding maple trees, Hornell once had a small Jewish community. The Orthodox synagogue Beit El, established in 1946, briefly operated as a Conservative congregation before closing and was designated a national historic site in 2016. In 2022, the synagogue and two local churches were targeted by neo-Nazis who distributed propaganda including swastikas, highlighting ongoing tensions in the area.