Anti-semitic graffiti in New Zealand
Wellington Jewish community Centre (WJCC) workers were shocked to discover antisemitic graffiti on the wall of the Holocaust Center of New Zealand. (HCNZ).
The hand painted title “Gaza is Holocaust” was boldly scrawled onto the exterior wall on Webb Street, Mount Cook shared between the HCNZ and the WJCC.
Holocaust Centre
The Centre is the home of Wellington’s 170 year-old orthodox congregation and a wide range of Jewish community organisations and facilities – including a kosher store, a kindergarten, and a Holocaust centre.
The local community includes Holocaust survivors, and reports confirm they have been badly shaken by this event.
Key graffiti
Stephen Goodman from the New Zealand Jewish Council says: “The New Zealand Jewish Council is deeply shocked with the antisemitic attack on the Holocaust Centre.
Such things as this are a direct assault on the Jewish Community and as such raise concerns there is less religious and ethnic understanding here. We do not believe that antisemitism is prevalent in New Zealand but is more a reflection of fringe elements within our society.
While such incidents are not extremely common in New Zealand they must be dealt with seriously and a clear statement made that this type of behavior is unacceptable to both Jews and all citizens of this country.”
Police have opened an investigation into the Wellington incident and are looking for the offenders.
Auckland
Nearly 12 months ago, in the capital, an elderly couple was heckled as they saw antisemitic content being chalked on the pavement in the city’s CBD. According to onlookers, passers-by told the “pavement artist” that their work was “disgraceful”.
Hamilton
Last year, around the country, billboards of John Key were defaced with Anti-Semitic graffiti and around the same time there was defacement of regional Jewish Community centers.
Earlier this year, in February, Hamilton’s Cenotaph was defaced with antisemitic graffiti just before a significant Holocaust memorial ceremony. The Hamilton police acted quickly and arrested a man for the vandalism.
Symonds St
Later this year, in September, an Auckland park had “Heil Hitler” and a swastika scrawled boldly down one length of a children’s slide.
On 18 October, 2012, 20 gravestones in the historical Jewish Cemetery on Symonds Street in Auckland were desecrated with antiSemitic graffiti (below). It still has not been removed entirely.
Anti-Semitism:
It has come to my attention that no matter how good the wording of such stories are, there needs to be genuine proof that these stories are true. There needs to also be the name of the person the author of these stories to allow the Media to make contact with otherwise it will not go to print. There has been several such stories in circulation and have been found to be false thus bad mouthing another faith. In this case its known as anti-Semitism as both the Jew and Islamic were originally Semitic peoples. STOP THE HATRED
It’s incredibly retarded comment. You are welcome to check New Zealand newspapers for the past 5 years and you will find reports of Anti-Semitism in one form or another. Again, police is investigating the current events. There plain facts. So, Mr Bodle how dear you question things lije that? Study history of Middle East first before mixing things you don’t have a clue.
There is a causal link between this and the New Zealand government’s aggressive pro-Arab diplomacy.