In the heart of central Israel on Yom HaShoah, a hate crime was perpetrated against a Chareidi-owned store, with swastikas spray painted on the door and a pile of shoes left outside, as if to represent the piles of shoes next to gas chambers.

The horrifying incident occurred in Ramat Gan overnight Wednesday. When Amnon Goldis arrived at his store “יין כשר אור הגנוז” in the morning, he was greeted with the disturbing sight.

Goldis summoned the police who arrived at the store and opened an investigation.

Goldis’ store has already earned fame (or notoriety) as a Charedi store from an incident last year when Goldis hung a sign above his store stating “Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad.” To his surprise, the next morning he received a call from the Ramat Gan municipality threatening to fine him unless he immediately removes the sign.

Goldis hung the Shema Yisrael sign in response to the signs plastered across the street from his store and on surrounding streets by the Ramat Gan municipality advertising a pride parade.

“How can it be that the municipality threatens me in response to hanging a Jewish sign while signs that offend many local residents are plastered on the streets?” Goldis said at the time.

Unfortunately, the disturbing incident is not the only such one in recent days in Ramat Gan. Over Pesach, a number of hate crimes were perpetrated in city shuls, with chametz strewn in the shuls on Pesach.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)