While it may surprise and alarm many, painting a swastika in Israel is not illegal, at least not according to Minister of Public Security Yitzchak Aharonovich. The minister was responding to a query from Shas leader Rabbi Aryeh Deri who decried the painting of swastikas on cars and walls in Tzfas.

The minister assured Deri that arrests were made in the case he was referring to, but added painting swastikas is not an illegal act in Israel. Deri was naturally surprised to hear the minister’s response for he found it difficult to believe that painting a swastika was not a crime in its own right. “Is there any greater mocking of the Holocaust than this” questioned Deri.

The minister suggested to Deri that he author a bill that makes it illegal to paint a swastika and he promised to support it.

Deri then directed his attention to the special Israel Police unit that was established to address price tag attacks. He asked Aharonovich if the department was equally zealous in dealing with hate attacks against shuls and Jewish structures for when the latter occurs; one does not hear the same level of condemnatory statements from state officials that one hears when mosques or churches are targeted. Deri pointed out that when swastikas are painted on a shul vandals are charged with minor indictments such as damaging property but when a mosque is targeted then it becomes a felony case and a hate crime.

Deri questioned why attacks against Jewish institutions are not viewed with the same seriousness as when institutions of other faiths are targeted. He awaits a response.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)