New York brothers charged with hate crimes after allegedly stealing, burning Israeli flag

Two brothers from Hornell, New York, have been arrested and charged with hate crimes after allegedly stealing an Israeli flag from a local business and subsequently burning it at their home. Cormac Thomas Banco, 28, and Declan Peter Banco, 31, were taken into custody following an investigation into the flag's theft from a flagpole on Park Drive.

Authorities stated that the investigation determined the flag was taken to the brothers' residence, where it was set on fire. Both individuals face charges including hate crimes related to theft and criminal damage, as well as destroying evidence. Cormac Banco also faces a charge of resisting arrest. They were booked at the Steuben County Jail.

Hornell, a city of approximately 8,000 residents in western New York, was once a significant railroad hub. The city historically had a small Jewish community, with the Orthodox Beth El Synagogue established in 1946. The synagogue building, later designated a national historic site, was the target of neo-Nazi activity in 2022, when propaganda materials were distributed at the site and at local churches.

The charges against the Banco brothers highlight a pattern of anti-Semitic incidents, including the 2022 neo-Nazi activity in the same city where the flag theft and burning occurred.