Belfast Health Trust fails to get antisemitic graffiti removed after six months
The phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” has been on a wall of the Royal Victoria Hospital in the Falls Road in west Belfast
The Belfast Health Trust has been struggling to find a contractor to remove “antisemitic” graffiti from the wall of its hospital.
The phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” has been on a wall of the Royal Victoria Hospital in the Falls Road in west Belfast for an estimated six months.
DUP leader Gavin Robinson said it remains more than five months after an official complaint was lodged with the Belfast Health Trust requesting that it be removed.
He contended the phrase “is viewed by many people as a violent call to erase Israel and its population from existence”, and said he is concerned it will deter members of the local Jewish community from accessing services.
He also said the complaint has been escalated to the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman.
DUP MLA Diane Dodds raised the matter at a meeting of the Stormont Health Committee on Thursday querying why the graffiti has not been removed and how it had been allowed to remain for so long.
“It is a bit appalling that we’ve waited six months to get rid of antisemitic graffiti,” she said.
Maureen Edwards, interim head of the trust, said they have had “extreme difficulty” finding a contractor to remove it, but have plans to take it down.
She responded saying: “I completely agree with you.
“As one of the first trusts of sanctuary, we take it very seriously. We had extreme difficulty getting anyone to take the graffiti down.
“We had gone out to lots of contractors who would not do it. It is being dealt with now.
“We’d gone to local community groups, who had supported us, but we had real difficulty in getting anyone to do it.”
After the committee meeting, Ms Dodds called for public support for the removal of the graffiti.
“It is obviously disappointing that graffiti that has been in place for almost six months still currently remains in place. However, I recognise the difficulties the trust encountered when attempting to secure a contractor to remove it. The fact they faced difficulties is a depressing admission,” she said.
“There is an obvious question about why contractors would be so fearful about the removal of this graffiti which is on a main thoroughfare in the city.
“I would hope that local representatives there would make clear that they would welcome the removal of this slogan and play a part in reducing any concerns that contractors might have.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
