In what may feel like an unwelcome and sobering case of deja vu, there’s been another hate crime involving pro-Israel signage on and near Homer Street in Newton Centre.

On Friday, the Newton Police Department alerted the community that several signs reading “We Stand With Israel” on Homer Street, Kenwood Road, Manemet Road and Fenno Road were vandalized with dog feces and a “red substance.” The incidents had occurred on Thursday and Friday.

“In each case, small bags of dog feces were placed near the signs,” Lt. Amanda Henrickson wrote in a department Facebook post. “One sign was removed from the ground and vandalized with what appeared to be a red substance.”

Since the crimes were concentrated in one area, police are stepping up patrols in that vicinity.

Police are asking anyone with information about any of the incidents to call the department’s Community Services Bureau at 617‑796‑2103, the anonymous tip line at 617-796-2121 or non-emergency line at 617-796-2100.

These anti-Israeli property crimes recall a disturbing period in Newton two years ago, when—during the early months of Israel’s military operations in Gaza after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks—the violence abroad created tensions in America.

Newton has large populations of Jewish, Muslim and Middle Eastern residents, and in 2024, Newton police reported a sharp spike in hate crimes in the Garden City, mostly aimed at Jewish people and property.

Among those incidents in 2024 was the destruction of a large display in front of a home on Homer Street honoring the Israeli hostages taken by Hamas during the Oct 7 attacks. Residents of that neighborhood had a rally against antisemitism in response.