Anti-Semitic Vandalism Wave Hits London

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By Daniel J. Solomon January 23, 2017

A series of five anti-Semitic hate crimes hit London over the weekend, according to the Jewish Chronicle.

In the most egregious case, Jews walking home from Friday night Shabbat services were pelted with eggs. In another, a brick was tossed threw a window, with swastikas drawn onto it. One homeowner left the house to find “fuck Jews” and “Heil Hitler” scrawled onto a garbage pail. A theater screening the film “Denial,” which focuses on the historical debate over the Holocaust, saw a poster for the movie defaced with a Jewish star and the words “creep” and “witch.”

Both law enforcement and the Shomrim, or Jewish community patrol, said they were investigating the incidents.

“These attacks are intended to instill fear in London’s Jews,” said Gary Ost, the Shomrim’s chief executive for northwest London, in comments to the Jewish Chronicle. “The best response to these disgusting acts is to ensure that the perpetrators are caught.”

Inspector Justin Zitver, of London’s Metropolitan Police, told the Chronicle it was unclear if the incidents were linked. “Whilst there is no evidence at this stage to suggest that these offenses are linked, it is of great concern that members of our local community are being targeted in this way,” he said.

Contact Daniel J. Solomon at solomon@forward.com or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon

Daniel J. Solomon is the former Assistant to the Editor/News Writer at the Forward. Originally from Queens, he attended Harvard as an undergraduate, where he wrote his senior thesis on French-Jewish intellectual history. He is excited to have returned to New York after his time in Massachusetts. Daniel’s passions include folk music, cycling, and pointed argument.

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