Hatred at Hanukkah
Synagogue and shops targeted by anti-Semitic graffiti vandals
‘My grandparents fled similar scenes in 1939’
RACE-HATE vandals are being hunted after anti-Semitic abuse was sprayed on a synagogue and shops during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.
The Star of David and the numbers ‘9 11’ were daubed on at least 12 premises around 11.30pm on Saturday.
The graffiti is a reference to an antiSemitic conspiracy theory that Jews were responsible for the September 11 2001 terror attacks in the United States.
Scotland Yard said it is investigating it as a racially motivated hate crime. They feared it deliberately coincided with the Hanukkah festival.
The vandalism was found in north London two hours after five people were stabbed at a rabbi’s home in New York.
The Jewish symbol and ‘9 11’ were sprayed in red and purple on shops in Hampstead and Belsize Park. South Hampstead Synagogue was painted with ‘9 11’.
Comedian David Baddiel, who lives in the area, tweeted: ‘How depressingly similar to what my grandparents would’ve seen in their neighbourhood, the one they had to flee from in 1939.’ Oliver Cooper, a local Conservative councillor, patrolled the area yesterday after ‘appalled’ residents alerted the Community Security Trust, a charity that works to protect Jewish residents.
He came across the graffiti in nine places, adding: ‘My first reaction was shock and horror. I’ve had to report anti-Semitic graffiti in Hampstead a number of times, including by a banned neo-Nazi group, but I’ve never seen anything approaching this extent.’
It was removed from shop windows yesterday afternoon.
Tulip Siddiq, Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn, tweeted: ‘Unbelievable, senseless, disgusting anti-Semitism at the heart of our community. We must all stay vigilant in order to continue the fight against this hatred.’
Sir Keir Starmer, also a north
London Labour MP, said: ‘This graffiti is disgusting. We must stand with the Jewish community against anti-Semitism.’
Jeremy Corbyn sent a message of ‘love and solidarity to Jewish communities around the world’. But he was branded a hypocrite due to his failure to root out anti-Semitism within the Labour Party.
Dr Jonathan Romain, the rabbi at Maidenhead Synagogue,
said he was aware 9/11 conspiracy theories involving Jews had been circulating but he did not believe they had suddenly become more prevalent.
He also said it was difficult to know whether the New York and London incidents were linked but added ‘copycat’ attacks were possible.
No arrests have been made and the Met said officers are examining CCTV. Inspector Kev
Hailes said: ‘Officers will be on patrol throughout the area to provide some reassurance.’
Anti-Semitic attacks are on the rise with almost 900 reported in first six months of 2019.
The dates of the eight-day Hanukkah festival, which marks the rededication of a 2nd century BC temple in Jerusalem, change each year. It started on December 22 this year and ends today.