Albuquerque, NM, April 10, 2019 … The Anti-Defamation League Mountain States Region is deeply disturbed by reports of anti-Semitic comments allegedly posted online by an Albuquerque resident and business owner.

Michael Palombo, the owner of V Roast Bistro in Nob Hill, is accused of posting the anti-Semitic comments on his personal Facebook page yesterday in response to an apparent tenant-landlord dispute. The post has been deleted and Palombo claims that his Facebook account was hacked and denies that he posted the comments.

ADL Mountain States Regional Director Scott Levin issued the following statement:

It is deeply concerning to see virulent anti-Semitic comments posted online, especially at a time when there is an increase in anti-Semitic incidents both in New Mexico and nationwide. The Facebook post appears to be motivated by a tenant-landlord dispute. Whatever the cause may be, it is never appropriate to traffic in anti-Semitic tropes and to attack another individual based on that person’s religious identity.

Anti-Semitic comments like these do not occur in a vacuum and we must not tolerate the perpetuation of such hateful, vitriolic and dehumanizing comments.

ADL’s annual audit of anti-Semitic incidents found that the number of reported incidents in New Mexico nearly doubled between 2015-2017. According to the report, there were 8 anti-Semitic incidents in New Mexico reported in 2015, 11 incidents in 2016 and 15 incidents in 2017.

ADL is the world’s leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of anti-Semitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education, and fighting hate online, ADL is the first call when acts of anti-Semitism occur. ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate. ADL’s Mountain States Region covers Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming. More at https://mountainstates.adl.org/.