Swastikas painted in front of iconic Buenos Aires barbershop in Jewish area

Swastikas were painted in front of a barbershop with the Hebrew name Javerim in the traditional Jewish neighbourhood of Villa Crespo in Buenos Aires.

The Javerim barbershop, which means friends, is run by Jewish hairdressers and is a neighbourhood icon. The swastikas were discovered on Saturday morning.

Argentina’s national secretary for Human Rights, Claudio Avruj, on Sunday tweeted: “I repudiate the appearance of swastikas in the Javerim barbershop of Villa Crespo. I reject any type of discriminatory or xenophobic behaviour, and I encourage you to continue working for an Argentina with a mosaic of identities where we all live together in peace and harmony.”  

The tweet singled out the Argentinean Jewish umbrella DAIA and the National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism.

In addition to the swastikas, a neo- Nazi pamphlet was hung near the store. The Federal Police and the Justice Department are investigating the incident.

The incident appears to be part of a wave on antisemitic incidents in the Argentinean capital. One week ago a man wearing a kippah was beaten and subject to antisemitic epithets on a street in Buenos Aires

Nearly two months ago, a homeless couple entered a synagogue and threatened the worshippers. The synagogue’s rabbi was injured scuffling with the homeless man following Shabbat services.

Antisemitic incidents in Argentina rose by 14 percent in 2017 over the previous year, according to a DAIA report, the most recent national statistics. Online antisemitic incidents made up 88 percent of the 2017 total, nearly double the 47 percent in 2014.