U.S. Rep. Adam Smith’s Bellevue home spray-painted with demands for Gaza cease-fire

U.S. Rep. Adam Smith’s Bellevue home has been vandalized by people advocating for a cease-fire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, his office said Friday.

Smith’s garage doors were hit with a trio of red spray-painted slogans: “Free Gaza,” “Baby Killer” and “Cease Fire!” surrounded by red handprints, according to photos supplied by his office.

“This attack is sadly reflective of the coarsening of the political discourse in our country, and is completely unwarranted, unnecessary, and harmful to our political system,” Smith, D-Bellevue, said in a statement.

There has been a spate of vandalism at synagogues and other locations over the past weeks amid protests over Israel’s military action against Hamas since the group’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Last week, the Herzl-Ner Tamid synagogue on Mercer Island, which is in Smith’s 9th Congressional District, was defaced with anti-Israel graffiti. The FBI is investigating.

U.S. Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., said his district office was vandalized this week with anti-Israel messages.

Smith said he and his staff have, over the years, met with groups across the political spectrum, including “Pro-Palestinian and left-wing activists” and that he remained open to productive and peaceful discussions.

He condemned “the rise in political violence” in the country over the past several years.

“The extremism on both the left and right side of our political spectrum is a threat to a healthy, functioning democracy and has been condoned for far too long,” Smith said in the statement. “The simple truth is that extremism on both sides is degrading to our political system and must be rooted out for our democracy to be able to persist.

“The world is increasingly complicated and full of tough challenges that require strong leaders. I am committed to taking on these challenges and this act of vandalism has only made me more determined to remain in politics to ensure that we resolve our differences in a peaceful way that truly reflects representative democracy,” Smith said in the statement.

The U.S. Capitol Police and Bellevue police have been notified of the incident, said Jaelin O’Halloran, the spokesperson for Smith.

Smith has not joined progressive Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Seattle, in calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. In late October, he signed a letter along with more than 100 other U.S. House members condemning the Hamas attack and praising President Joe Biden’s “steadfast support” for Israel.

The letter supported “safe passage” for civilians and noncombatants seeking refuge from the conflict and efforts to ensure “basic necessities of life,” such as food, water and medicine, remain available for Gaza’s residents.

Smith has represented Washington’s 9th Congressional District since 1997. The district includes parts of Southeast Seattle, Bellevue, Renton, Federal Way, Auburn and Kent.

CORRECTION: U.S. Rep. David Valadao’s last name was misspelled in an earlier version of this story.