Unidentified perpetrators vandalized the Jewish cemetery in Biłgoraj, Poland, on Tuesday night, defacing the memorial wall with graffiti related to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, including hate messages and a swastika, Polish media outlet, Lublin112.pl, reported.
It's not the first time such acts have happened in the city and the region. Decisive action is needed. https://t.co/WThvzbOGzN
— Amb. Yacov Livne ?? (@YacovLivne) November 27, 2024
The vandals spray-painted the cemetery's memorial wall with a message saying, "This year, Jews murdered 44,000 women and children." The perpetrators also drew an equals sign between a symbol of the Star of David and a swastika.
Israel's Ambassador to Poland Yacov Livne strongly condemned the incident on social media: "Appalling Antisemitism in Bilgoraj, Poland. A report today on a Holocaust memorial vandalized. Again, in Poland. Where are the authorities? It's not the first time such acts have happened in the city and the region. Decisive action is needed."
The vandals' graffiti contained spelling errors, including writing "KOBIE" instead of "KOBIET" (women) and "ZAMORDOWALL" instead of "ZAMORDOWALI" (murdered), leading social media commentators to speculate that the perpetrators are not fluent in Polish and must be foreigners. One wrote, "There are far more spelling mistakes in these few words than a child learning to write can make." Another wrote, "Not written by Poles, too many mistakes."
Biłgoraj police are actively investigating the incident and working to identify those responsible for the vandalism.
