A drunken anti-Semitic attacker was detained by police after vandalizing property in eastern Moscow, Russia, prompting outrage from local Jewish community leaders.
The SOVA Center's Antisemitism monitoring service reported that eyewitnesses heard the attacker shout Judeo-phobic slogans as he attempted to break into the community courtyard. After failing to do so, the suspect broke the local Jewish organization SHAMIR's name-plate on the mailbox and then toppled a large decorative menorah. He also caused minor damage to the rabbi's car before being arrested. Jewish community members locked their doors and alerted law enforcement who detained the vandal at the local police station.
"SHAMIR has not had any interaction with the individual prior to the attack and such incidents have not occurred in the community since the early 2000s," Rabbi Berel Tsisin, director of SHAMIR, said in the wake of the attack.
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He said Russian Jewish community organizations were monitoring the progress of the investigation. "We expect the attacker's motives to be well studied and that he will be punished," Rabbi Tsisin stated.
Vice-Chairman of the World Zionist Organization Yaakov Hagoel, responded to the incident stating, "this serious incident is unfortunately not unique, and similar incidents occur every day around the world against Jewish communities."
Hagoel reiterated his years-long call to fight anti-Semitism in a concerted global effort, also commented. "Every anti-Semite learns from previous attackers. When the anti-Semite sees a lack of enforcement and punishment, they know they can get away with their plans as well," he said.
"We applaud the Moscow police department for apprehending the perpetrator and hope that law enforcement authorities in Russia will act with zero tolerance. anti-Semitism must be taken seriously everywhere in the world," he concluded.
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