Man Steals Israeli Flag from Giddy's Pizza in Highland Park on Surveillance Video

HIGHLAND PARK, N.J., June 1, 2026 — Surveillance footage captured a man entering Giddy's Pizza and Cafe, a kosher pizza restaurant in Highland Park, New Jersey, and stealing an Israeli flag displayed inside the business at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 1. Owner Gideon Fentin, who has operated Giddy's Pizza since 2014 and moved the restaurant to its current Highland Park location two years ago, said the footage shows the individual approaching the flag slowly before running off with it. Highland Park police are investigating and have reviewed the surveillance video.

The incident drew an immediate community response. Town officials visited the restaurant Monday morning to rededicate a new Israeli flag at the location, with the mayor and local police among those present. Fentin said the show of support from the community carried real meaning for him and his staff.

Israeli Flag Stolen from Giddy's Pizza Caught on Surveillance Video

Fentin described the incident to News 12 New Jersey and said the surveillance footage is clear. The video shows the individual approaching the flag, which was hanging inside the restaurant, before taking it and running from the premises. Fentin said he has handed the footage over to Highland Park police, who are conducting an active investigation.

As of 5 p.m. Monday, Highland Park Police had not responded to a News 12 request for comment. No arrests had been announced at the time of publication. The investigation remains open.

Fentin addressed the incident directly, framing it as a matter of freedom of expression rather than fear. "I don't think that we should be scared or not hang flags that you want to hang," Fentin said. "I think that this is the United States, and you should be able to hang what you want to hang, especially if it's for what you believe in as the right cause."

Community and Town Officials Rally Behind Highland Park Kosher Restaurant

The response from Highland Park's civic leadership came quickly. The mayor and police officials visited Giddy's Pizza on Monday morning as part of a rededication ceremony for a replacement Israeli flag. The gesture was received with gratitude by those present at the restaurant.

Patron Benjamin Saffrin, who was at the restaurant during the Monday visit, described the response from the town as significant. "Police, the mayor, everyone the whole community is involved, and that truly means a lot from all of us," Saffrin said.

Highland Park is a borough in Middlesex County with a sizable Jewish community. The town sits adjacent to New Brunswick and has long served as a hub for kosher dining and Jewish communal life in central New Jersey. Giddy's Pizza and Cafe is one of several kosher establishments that anchor the local Jewish commercial corridor.

Incident Follows Pattern of Antisemitic Incidents at New Jersey Businesses

The flag theft at Giddy's Pizza is the latest in a series of antisemitic incidents reported at Jewish-owned and kosher businesses across New Jersey in recent years. State and federal authorities have documented a sustained rise in antisemitic incidents since 2022, with New Jersey consistently ranking among the states with the highest reported totals. The Anti-Defamation League's most recent annual audit recorded New Jersey as one of the top five states for antisemitic incidents nationally.

The deliberate targeting of a flag displayed inside a private business rather than an exterior sign or a public-facing decoration suggests the individual entered the restaurant with intent. Investigators have not publicly confirmed a hate-crime designation for the incident, and the classification of the case remains subject to the outcome of the ongoing police investigation.

Fentin has not announced any changes to the restaurant's décor or display practices in response to the incident. His public remarks suggest an intent to continue displaying the Israeli flag at the location.

Giddy's Pizza and Cafe is located in Highland Park, New Jersey. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the Highland Park Police Department.

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