July 5, 2012

(JTA) — Anti-Semitic graffiti was painted on the Jewish Agency for Israel’s building in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

The graffiti, including swastikas, was painted on the building and a neighboring building last weekend, and was acknowledged by the Jewish Agency in a statement released on Thursday.

The words “All of you – to Buchenwald” appeared in large letters on the side of a facing building.

The building housing the Jewish Agency is located in a neighborhood in the city center which is also home to several local Jewish organizations. There is no sign indicating the presence of the Jewish Agency there.

One of the swastikas was painted next to a sign for the Jewish University, a local Jewish organization housed in the building.

There are some 100,000 Jews in Saint Petersburg, and Jewish community life is extremely vibrant, according to the Jewish Agency.

“In recent days, we have witnessed a surge in anti-Semitic incidents, primarily in Western Europe.  The incidents generally involve hateful graffiti targeting Jews, but some have also included violence,” said Amon Hermon, head of The Jewish Agency Task Force on Anti-Semitism. “The Jewish Agency will continue to work with Jewish communities in order to combat anti-Semitic and anti-Israel phenomena around the world.”
 

Want timely updates? Follow @JTAnews on Twitter!

Click to login and write a letter to the editor.

This article was made possible by the support of readers like you. Donate to JTA now.