Swastika carved on the door of KKL-JNF offices in Rome
Incident comes as watchdog finds anti-Jewish hate crimes in Italy nearly doubled in 2024
A swastika was carved into the door of the Jewish National Fund offices in Rome.
The organisation’s world chairwoman, Ifat Ovadia-Luski called the act “a painful reminder that Jew-hatred continues to raise its head in Europe and beyond.”
Calling on the Italian authorities to take firm steps to identify those responsible and prevent such acts, she added: “This cowardly act is meant to intimidate and erode the sense of security of Jews wherever they may be.”
The incident follows the harassment of a Jewish father and son, both wearing kippot, on 18 August as they waited to use the toilets at a restaurant in Milan. They were approached by several people who yelled at them: “Murderers,” “Go to hell,” “Go back to your country,” and “Free Palestine.”
A recent report by the Milan-based think tank Centro di Documentazione Ebraica Contemporanea (CDEC) revealed that in 2024 there were 877 complaints about antisemitic incidents in the country, compared to 454 in 2023 and 241 in 2022.
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