A DMV office has been forced to apologize after it approved a license plate that appears to mock the Hamas terror attacks on Israel.
A picture of one of the plates, making light of the attacks on October 7 last year that left more than 1,200 dead, was shared online.
The photo of the license plate, reading “LOLOCT7,” was posted on X, formerly Twitter, by the group StopAntisemitism.
The group said the vehicle was spotted in Culver City, California.
“How did this get processed?” the group wrote.
“Let’s demand that the California DMV recalls this license plate commemorating the terrorist attack on October 7th. It’s a disrespectful tribute to the 1,200 innocent lives lost and the many others affected by the tragedy.”
The content remains in a single paragraph.
On Thursday, December 12, just hours after the picture was shared, California’s DMV apologized, calling the situation “unacceptable and disturbing.”
A department representative said the vehicle’s owner would have their license plate recalled.
However, the owner can appeal the DMV’s decision if they choose to do so.
DMV officials said employees will now check the license plate database for additional offensive language related to the October 7 attacks and issue further recalls if necessary.
The California DMV did not immediately respond to The U.S. Sun’s requests for comment.
It comes after a photo of a plate was shared on social media in September.
The plate, reading “OCT 7” with a “Free Palestine” frame, was reportedly snapped in Illinois.
Over 1,200 people were murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, in southern Israel.
At least 250 hostages were also taken, including 12 US citizens.
The attack triggered an enormous retaliation by Israel on the Gaza Strip.
Gaza’s Ministry of Health claims nearly 42,000 people in the territory have been killed in the past 14 months.
CALIFORNIA DMV STATEMENT
IN the wake of a license plate mocking the October 7 attacks in Israel going viral, the California DMV has issued the following statement:
“This is unacceptable and disturbing.
“The DMV is taking swift action to recall these shocking plates, and we will immediately strengthen our internal review process to ensure such an egregious oversight never happens again.
“We sincerely apologize that these personalized plates were not properly rejected during our review process.
“The use of hateful language is not only a clear violation of our core values to proudly serve the public and ensure safe and welcoming roadways.”
In another similar incident, a Jewish woman was horrified in May to find out her Lyft driver had a license plate glorifying the attacks.
The woman told NewsNation she got into the cab in Richmond, Virginia, and thought at first the “OCT 7” plate was a reference to the driver’s birthday.
But with the Palestinian flag border and lyrics appearing to be part of a resistance song, she saw the plate as a celebration of the murders.
She hid her Star of David necklace and later complained to Lyft and asked for a refund.
“Lyft unequivocally condemns antisemitism and all forms of discrimination,” the company said in a statement.
“We have permanently banned this driver from the Lyft platform and refunded the rider for this ride.”
