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Synagogue walls daubed with anti-Jewish graffiti
Benedict Moore-Bridger and Robert Mendick15.05.08
London's Jewish community has been targeted by a wave of anti-Semitic graffiti.
Residents were today warned to look out for suspicious activity following the racist attack in north-east London.
Vandals sprayed shops, pavements and walls outside four synagogues in Clapton Common and Stamford Hill on Tuesday night. Worshippers were yesterday confronted with slogans such as "Jihad to Israel" and "Jihad to Tel Aviv".
Hackney council is removing the graffiti, which consisted of 40 pieces of writing.
David Greenwald, 20, who visits the Chasidey Belz Beth Hemedrash synagogue in Clapton Common, said the close-knit community was shocked.
"This morning I went to synagogue to pray and saw the writing all over everywhere - walls, shops, traffic lights," he said. "Everyone feels scared. Here we do not have any problem with Arabs - there has never been anything like this before, but now we are worried."
Another worshipper said: "It makes us feel that we are in exile. It could be kids doing it but even so, it shows something." The other synagogues were Satmar Beth Hamedrash Yetev Lev, Atereth Zvi Beth Hamedrash, and the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations. Yesterday further racist graffiti appeared in Bethnal Green.
A spokesman for the Community Security Trust, an organisation which looks after the safety of British Jews, said: "We are already on a relatively high state of alert due to pronouncements by pro-al Qaeda supporters relating to attacks on Jews, and this adds to the picture of threat." Jules Pipe, Mayor of Hackney, said: "Hackney is a tolerant place and we've never seen anything like this before. Our graffiti removal teams are working with the police to remove it as quickly as possible to minimise any further distress."
Scotland Yard said officers were looking at CCTV footage and forensic teams have recovered a canister of spray paint. Anyone with information should call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Reader views (23)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
This is totally anti-semitic. Jewish people do not stoop so low as to do this to others. The actions of the Israeli people to defend themselves has just been used as an excuse to show more hatred to Jewish people everywhere, hatred that has existed for years. We need the BBC and other news agencies to bring these attacks on Jesish people and property into the public eye, headlines not just web articles. The rest of the UK population are content to think it is only happening to Jews, but everyone needs to be aware of who is living in their country, ready to completely take over, but all they do is welcome them with their liberal open arms. All the liberals marching with the pro-gaza groups will never be bombed on a London bus or train by Israeli or Jewish supporters, but these Islamic supporters will attack anyone,.......we all need to open our eyes and also our mouths. Or just rollover!!!!!!
- Lara, London, UK
I hope they find the scum that did this. These people are animals.
- Natasha, London, UK
Why cannot the Jews be left in peace. They have endured a thousand years of persecution and they have given so much to the welfare of this country.
- Robert Palmer, London
To Charles,London,
Then why does the graffiti appear outside a Synagogue in an are with a large Jewish Community and NOT next to the Israeli Embassy? - Come on Charles don't be so naive - fanatics & terrorists do not differentiate!
- David, Tel Aviv, Israel
If it had been anti islamic comments on a mosque,it would have been a hate crime, such is the state of our country today.
Move on - nothing to see here.
- Tommy, Belfast UK
To the two previous comments- First they come for the Jews. When they come for you will it simply be anti-British and vandalism/graffiti?
- Sara, NY, USA
That is like vandalizing a black neighbourhood because of the actions of Louis Farakhan or Al Sharpton. Its racism.
Likewise, when you vandalize Jewish property because of the actions of a Jewish country that has nothing to do with them, that is anti-Semitism.
I guess I had to throw in a little bit of common sense in there to stop all the apparent confusion.
Religion of peace strikes again, I see.
I feel bad for all the residents of England, who will be paying a huge price in a few decades. They are being attacked from within and they don't even know it.
- Shai, NY, USA
If this wasn't anti-Semitic in intent, then why was it at a synagogue in England? Why was it on 4 synagogues?
Why not a book store? Why not the town hall?
Clearly, the person(s) responsible equate Jews, even in England, with Israel.
- Lisa, Michigan, USA
If its not anti Jewish why is it in a predominantly Jewish neighbourhood?
We must be wary of hate crimes, and not fool ourselves into ignoring the brutal facts. Call a spade a spade, it's anti Jewish and we all know it.
What we really have to be careful about is that throughout history Jews were always the first to be attacked, but never the last. Hitler moved from the Jews to the rest of the world.
Today it's the Jews, tomorrow it's the rest of us.
Let's not be like the one who fed the crocodile hoping it would eat him last.
Who are you fooling Charles?
- Richard, London
Charles - the graffiti is daubed in a Jewish neighbourhood, outside synagogues that are named in the above article. It is anti-Israel hatred directed at local Jews who have no responsibility for Israel and diverse opinions on Israel. The graffiti is at the synagogues in a bid to threaten and scare London Jews. That is why it is antisemitic. I don't know why you feel the need to argue otherwise, but I suggest you treat racist attacks against Jews as you would racist attacks against any other community.
- Mark Gardner, london UK
So if this was just general anti-Israel graffiti then why wasn't it targeted at Mosque's, Churches or the local library. No, it was targeted against Jewish places of worship. Itis as certain Anti-semitism as you can get.
- Steve, London
The graffiti is obviously anti-semitic, masquerading as anti-Israel. How can you tell? Because it targeted a Satmar synagogue, belonging to a sect which believes that the foundation of Israel was a heresy since only the Messiah should be able to set up a Jewish state.
- Simon, Brighton, UK
If you think the graffiti aren't anti-Jewish, why do you suppose they were focused on synagogues?
- Lewis, Washington, DC, USA
Charles, countries do get criticised yes, but then it would be on a regular wall. Jewish sites were targeted saying Jihad, that means kill Jews. Another example of why Anti Israel feeling is being translated into Anti Semitism.
In response to Richard, your comment shows why France has the worst Anti Semitism in Europe.
- Simon, London
Come of it Richard and Charles. Anti-Israeli graffiti scrawled on walls by synagogues is not within the bounds of reasonable criticism of the actions of the state of Israel or simple vandalism - it is plainly anti-Semetic, I'm in not one to bandy that accusation around lightly.
- Matt, London, UK
Really Charles? Then why target Synagogues?
- Danny, London Uk
Don't make assumptions about the perpetrators. The BNP and other racist groups would like to stir up trouble between the Jewish and Muslim communities and are quite capable of direct action and criminal behaviour.
- Graham, Birmingham, UK
The use of the word 'JIHAD' indicated Islamic origin. All of us 'infidels' are targets of Islamic Jihad, and we must show solidarity in our joint resistance to it.
- Jack R, London, England
Charles - I agree countries do, and should, be criticised, but this wasn't written on the walls of the Israeli embassy or on assets owned by Israeli businesses. It was written on synagogues used by British people.
- Dave, London
Anti-Israel? Then why is it on a synagogue. The mindless fool that did this was not making a separation. As Martin Luther King said at Harvard in 1968, "When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews, You are talking anti-Semitism."
- Karney, Manchester
If this is only anti-Jewish, not anti-Israel, it's remarkable that one of the synagogues attacked was the Satmar one.
- Elozor, Leeds, UK
Looks like Anti-Israel graffiti to me not Anti- Jewish?
Countries get criticized, fact of life.
- Charles, London
I think what we have here, is a problem of vandalism/graffiti. All too common in Hackney.
- Richard, France
