California DMV Apologizes for Issuing License Plate Mocking Israel Attack
The California Department of Motor Vehicles has issued an apology for issuing a license plate that openly mocked the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas. The license plate, which was spotted on a Tesla Cybertruck, reads “LOLOCT7,” with “Lol” being an acronym for “laugh out loud” and typically used to express amusement.
The license plate was brought to attention by StopAntisemitism, a group dedicated to fighting anti-Semitism, which posted a photo of the plate on social media. The organization expressed outrage, demanding that the DMV recall the plate and calling it a “vile mockery” of the 1,200 innocent lives lost and the countless others scarred in the attack.
The DMV responded to the post by issuing an apology, calling the situation “unacceptable and disturbing.” The department stated that it is taking swift action to recall the plate and will strengthen its internal review process to ensure that such an oversight never happens again.
The DMV also apologized for not properly rejecting the personalized plate during its review process, stating that the use of hateful language is a clear violation of its policies and core values. The department has notified the vehicle’s owner of the situation and will recall the license plate. However, the owner has the right to appeal the DMV’s decision.
In addition, DMV officials have announced that they will scour the license plate database to identify additional offensive language involving the October 7 attacks and recall those plates if found.
