In the latest anti-Semitic incident in Montreal, the phrase “f--- Israhell” and two swastikas were scrawled on June 14 on the Naot shoe store located on St. Denis Street, Shalom Toronto reported.
According to the report, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) contacted Richard Bergeron, the city councilor for the district in which the store is located, who worked to immediately remove the graffiti. Bergeron expressed his solidarity with the local Jewish community in a post on his Facebook page and said that the vandalism was an unacceptable discourse of hatred.
The Jewish-owned Naot shoe store has been over the past two years the target of a boycott campaign led by the anti-Israel group PAJU (Palestinian and Jewish Unity). Activists from PAJU try to persuade the public not to buy Israeli products.
CIJA condemned PAJU’s anti-Israel activities, arguing that it creates an anti-Semitic atmosphere, according to Shalom Toronto.
Earlier this month, unknown perpetrators firebombed two kosher restaurants in Montreal. No one was injured in the arson, but both businesses were damaged.
Police have offered a reward of $20,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the arsonists and have released surveillance video footage of the perpetrators.