A disturbing act of vandalism has occurred in Philadelphia, as a swastika was discovered spray-painted on a wall adjacent to the Horowitz-Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza, the nation's oldest Holocaust memorial.
The hateful symbol, measuring approximately 2 feet by 2 feet, was spotted early Sunday on the wall of the Verizon building on Arch Street. Authorities have launched a vandalism probe in response to this abhorrent act.
According to surveillance video, a masked man swiftly scrawled the Nazi insignia with green spray paint around 1:30 am. The suspect, described as an "unknown male," was last seen wearing a dark, possibly brown, jacket with a white stripe across the chest and down the arms.
Eszter Kutas, executive director of the Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Foundation, expressed her deep distress, stating, "To have a hate symbol at a Holocaust memorial plaza is especially upsetting." The swastika was promptly removed within hours of its discovery.
This act of vandalism comes at a time when the United States has witnessed a significant increase in antisemitic incidents following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, which led to a war in Gaza. Data collected by the Anti-Defamation League reveals a staggering 360% surge in domestic antisemitic attacks since the outbreak of the deadly conflict in the Middle East.
Andrew Goretsky, regional director of ADL Philadelphia, strongly condemned the defacement, emphasizing, "We strongly condemn the disgraceful act of defacement near the Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza with a spray-painted swastika. This reprehensible act not only desecrates a symbol of remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust but also highlights the disturbing rise in antisemitism plaguing our community."
The Philadelphia memorial, commissioned in the 1950s by Holocaust survivors and Jewish community members, stands as a testament to the atrocities of the Holocaust. Erected in 1964 and redesigned in 2018 with new installations and artifacts, it serves as a solemn reminder of the importance of remembrance and the fight against hatred.
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