Anti-Semitic graffiti spray painted on the town hall in Castrillo Mota de los Judíos has been denounced by the Spanish Jewish community.
The Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain (FCJE) called for those responsible for the vandalism in the northern Spanish village to be brought to justice.
The graffiti included the phrases “Mayor sold out to the murderous Jew”, “Juden Raus” and “Long live the Catholic Monarchs” along with a crossed-out Star of David. The anti-Semitic statements were spray painted on the front of the town hall.
“The attacks and threats against the Mayor, Lorenzo Rodriguez, are intolerable and reveal the danger of the ideologies that led Europe to disaster,” FCJE said in a statement.
FCJE added: “We therefore unequivocally support the Mayor of Castrillo Mota de los Judíos and encourage him to continue working for the recovery of the Jewish past and for a peaceful and tolerant coexistence.”
FJCE is Spain’s affiliate of the European Jewish Congress (EJC).
They urged law enforcement to do everything in their power to arrest and bring to justice the individuals behind the defacement.
The town of Castrillo Mota de Judíos, which is in the province of Burgos, was originally named Castrillo Matajudíos (“Camp Kill-the-Jews”), a moniker that dated back to 1627 when anti-Semitic persecution was rampant in the country.
In June 2015, the town was renamed Castrillo Mota de Judío after a local referendum. The name change took place after international pressure and a local campaign by Rodriguez.