Swiss kosher butcher vandalised four times in one month
Basel Jewish community condemn 'antisemitic' attacks on shop in the city, including the removal of the letter 'J' from its sign
A kosher butcher shop in Basel, Switzerland has been vandalised four times in one month in what local Jews are condemning as an antisemitic campaign of intimidation.
In one of the attacks, the unidentified perpetrators removed the letter J from the German-language word for Jewish from a metal sign over the shop, as well as two of the Hebrew-language letters for the word kosher.
In the latest incident, on Sunday, the shop’s window display was shattered, the Swiss-Jewish newspaper Tachles reported Monday.
Leopold Stefansky, the president of the Basel Jewish community, called the incidents “antisemitic attacks,” the news website 20Min reported.
Jonathan Kreutner, the secretary general of the FSCI federation of Swiss Jews, told 20Min that the incidents are “generating concern” among members of the community.
Police are investigating the incidents, the news website reported.
Stefansky said the community is considering hiring a security firm and a video surveillance system, “but it costs,” he told 20Min.
In 2016, the Swiss Interior Ministry’s Service for the Fight against Racism published a report that said that Switzerland’s Jews need to pay for their own security costs even though doing so is really the government’s responsibility.
Following an outcry, a motion calling for the federal government to fund the security costs of Swiss Jews, estimated at about £348,000 ($450,000) annually, was adopted by the lower and upper chambers of the Swiss parliament and approved by the government earlier this year.
Listen to this week’s episode of the Jewish Views Podcast:
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
