Gardaí, the Irish police, have opened a hate crime investigation after antisemitic graffiti, including swastikas and the words “Jew” and “rat,” was sprayed on roads in Co Louth, the Irish Times reports.
Holocaust Awareness Ireland condemned the incident, saying the graffiti “repeats one of the most disturbing antisemitic caricatures deployed by Nazis in pre-war Germany.”
In a statement, the Garda confirmed it had received a report of criminal damage and is treating the case as a hate crime. It urged anyone with information to come forward.
The force added that gardaí from the Garda National Community Engagement Bureau maintain ongoing engagement with the Jewish community across Ireland and continue to liaise with community representatives.
Holocaust Awareness Ireland noted that such graffiti is most common in countries with “a long history” of antisemitism and warned that “Ireland has experienced a rising trend in anti-Semitic sentiment across all social strata, including all levels of Government and media.”
The organization called for immediate government condemnation and swift removal of the graffiti.
“As a society, we need to promote empathy and education to embrace our differences. Making vile, offensive, and humiliating language taboo represents the health of a multicultural democracy,” it said.
Ties between Israel and Ireland have been especially strained in recent years. In April of 2024, then-Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris failed to mention the hostages being held by Hamas during his first speech after being elected leader, resulting in criticism from Israel’s Foreign Ministry.
Later, Harris criticized Israel's strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, accusing Israel of a “pattern of flouting international law and disregard for rules of engagement.”
A month later, Ireland joined Spain, Norway, and subsequently Slovenia in officially recognizing a Palestinian state.
In December of 2024, Israel shuttered its embassy in Dublin amid escalating tensions, citing Ireland’s recognition of a Palestinian state and its vocal condemnation of Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
More recently, Ireland elected far-left President Catherine Connolly, inaugurated on November 11, who has labeled Israel a “terrorist state.”