Gravestones defaced at Nowra
Police are investigating an incident where a number of gravestones were defaced with anti-semitic slogans at the NSW South Coast town of Nowra.
The NSW Police have reported: “Shortly after 4.15pm yesterday (Tuesday 30 August 2016), police went to a cemetery on Kalander Street, Nowra after a number of World War II gravestones had been found to be defaced with anti-semitic graffiti.
In all, nine marble gravestones have been damaged.
Media have reported that one the slogans daubed read “Die Jews Die”.
Police believe the damage occurred sometime between 11.30am Tuesday 23 August, and 12.30pm Tuesday 30 August 2016.
NSW Labor frontbencher and NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel Deputy chair Walt Secord described the desecration of South Coast war graves as “sickening” and was an “affront to those who survived the Shoah and the brave Australians who fought fascism during World War II”.
This week, nine of 35 graves in the Nowra War Cemetery and a gateway pillar were defaced by vandals. Sometime earlier this week, vandals used a white marker pen to daub swastikas on the marble headstones.
In addition, the antisemitic phrase – “Die Jues” (sic) was scrawled on a tombstone.
“This attack seems to have been carried out by more than simple vandals and was a clearly calculated racially-motivated hate crime aimed to cause maximum offence,” Mr Secord said.
Walt Secord
Mr Secord supported comments by Nowra RSL sub-branch secretary Mr Rick Meehan, who maintains the cemetery.
Mr Meehan described the attack as “unforgivable”.
The Nowra War Cemetery contains the remains of 35 personnel who were killed between 1941 and 1947.
Mr Secord said this followed another antisemitic graffiti at Bondi Beach earlier this month.
“I am appalled by these sickening attacks and they have no place in our society.”
“Those who carried out the attack are gutless cowards.”
“We must be vigilant and speak out against these sorts of sickening attacks.”
“This attack is an affront to those who survived the Shoah and lost families – and it is also an affront to those brave Australians who fought Fascism in World War II.”
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies CEO Vic Alhadeff condemned the graffiti as “offensive to all Australians, particularly those who fought the Nazis, those who survived the Holocaust and members of the Jewish community. It is concerning that there is a handful of bigots out there who feel the need to engage in such despicable conduct.”
The Nowra War Cemetery is part of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
As despicable as they are, these actions will probably continue with the re-emergence of bigoted politicians take their seats in the new Federal parliament. Pauline Hanson and her ilk are the current purveyors of intolerance of other people, other culture and other religions; hence must be held morally accountable to these cowardly actions. I fear for the older and the youngest populations who could not fight back against what could be violent manifestations of racist bigotry that might arise, without the moderating influence of enlightened government actions to stop it.