A memorial for Holocaust victims in Oviedo, Spain has been defaced, leaving lasting damage and scratch marks.
The Star of David that sits on top of the monolith was hit several times with a blunt object, according to the World Zionist Organization. The plaque memorializing the memory of victims of the Holocaust was also damaged, and was full of scratch marks intended by the vandals to remove references to the genocide perpetrated by the Nazis against the Jewish people.
The vandalism was “roundly” condemned by the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain (FCJE) who urged Spanish authorities to forcefully condemn the attack against the community.
The FCJE, the Spanish affiliate of the European Jewish Congress (EJC), said in a statement that it supports the Jewish community of the Principality of Asturias in northwest Spain where Oviedo is located.
It further said that it is giving its support to the local community’s action being undertaken to denounce the vandalism and make the crime public, which the FCJE called a “clear anti-Semitic attack.”
The FCJE noted that data from the Fundamental Rights Agency of the European Union found that anti-Semitic has increased in all 27 member EU nations. The organization called on countries to “redouble efforts to combat hatred and prejudice against Jews.”
Given the increase in anti-Semitism in Europe, the FCJE urged Spanish authorities to release a “forceful” statement condemning attacks against the Jewish community in order “to immediately restore the damaged elements and to implement educational measures to teach tolerance, knowledge of others and the right to difference.”
In a Twitter statement, the EJC said: “Despicable that a Holocaust memorial in Oviedo was vandalized. We join FJCE in condemning this act of hate and call on Spanish authorities to do their utmost to investigate, educate and take firm action against all forms of anti-Semitism.”