Vandals defaced a mural in Italy depicting some of the harrowing moments of the Oct. 7 terrorist assault, the newest in a sequence of antisemitic incidents plaguing the nation.
The vandalism was found in Milan on Monday, the anniversary of the terrorist assault, with the suspects erasing the face and legs of Oct. 7 survivor Vlada Patapov, whose likeness was etched to a mural in downtown Milan.
Patapov turned one of many faces of Hamas’ brutal assault after pictures of her racing throughout the desert in her crimson jacket throughout Hamas’ invasion on the Nova music competition went viral.
The mural, which was positioned close to Milan’s state college, was dubbed “October seventh, Escape,” by artist AleXsandro Palombo, who painted it as a approach for the world to recollect the horrors of the assault.
The artist condemned the vandals who “decapitated” the picture, including that these spreading antisemitism in Italy usually are not appearing for the advantage of Palestinians.
“These extremist actions which might be more and more radicalizing our society have the only objective of defending terrorist perception in our Western democracy,” Palombo mentioned.
Native police mentioned they’re at present investigating the incident.
Monday’s case was the newest flagged by the Antisemitism Observatory in Milan, which recorded a 300% enhance within the variety of antisemitic incidents in Italy because the terrorist assault.
Earlier than Oct. 7, 2023, there have been about 30 stories of antisemitism each week, in accordance with Stefano Gatti, a researcher on the observatory.
After the terrorist assault, which killed greater than 1,200 individuals in Israel, the variety of incidents spiked to 80 or 90 per week, Gatti mentioned.
“Whereas earlier than Oct. 7, the incidents had been totally on Web web sites, now they encompass acts in the true world,’’ he mentioned. “Antisemitism has additionally grow to be extra socially acceptable.”
The group cited earlier incidents resembling one the place a rabbi was allegedly stalked within the metropolis of Genoa by an individual brandishing a screwdriver.
One other incident concerned a restaurant proprietor who casually informed a pair of diners that Hitler was proper for desirous to kill all Jews, not realizing that the diners had been Jewish.
With Submit wires
