Anti-Semitic Slogans Sprayed on Jewish Stores
Heute, May 2, 2024
German original: https://www.heute.at/s/antisemitische-parolen-auf-juedische-geschaefte-gesprueht-120034577
Anti-Semitic slogans were sprayed on Jewish-owned stores in Vienna's Leopoldstadt district. Stones were also thrown at young people.
Another anti-Semitic incident is currently shaking the capital city of Vienna. On Wednesday night, anti-Semitic hate slogans were sprayed on several buildings in Leopoldstadt.
According to information from the APA, in addition to the walls of houses, it is also said to be the walls of stores owned by Jewish people. As photos on social media show, the words “Death to Zionism” were sprayed alongside “Victory to Palestine”. The Vienna police have launched an investigation.
Oskar Deutsch, President of the Jewish Community, is deeply shocked by the incidents. “First the word, then the deed: the ground is being prepared for anti-Semitic attacks in Vienna”, he told APA.
The anti-Jewish graffiti was not the only incident. In addition to public calls for the destruction of Israel in the course of a May Day demonstration on the Ring, young people are said to have been attacked in Vienna on Wednesday afternoon. Several people are said to have thrown stones at the teenagers, who were recognizable as Jewish because of their clothing, while chanting “Free Palestine”.
“Deeply shocked and disgusted”
On Thursday afternoon, Constitutional Minister Karoline Edtstadler also reacted to the incidents. “I am deeply shocked and disgusted by the anti-Semitic graffiti on the store of a descendant of Holocaust survivors in Vienna. Anti-Semitism has no place in Austria. I am glad that the police have already started an investigation,” the ÖVP politician told ‘Heute’.
Edtstadler will therefore consult with international partners as early as next Monday on the occasion of the European Conference on Anti-Semitism. “Close cooperation and global networking are crucial in order to take action against this across society as a whole,” the minister concludes.