Vandals daub IDF war memorial with swastikas on Tisha Be'av

Last update - 14:25 24/07/2007
By Jonathan Lis, Haaretz Correspondent
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/885647.html

A war memorial was desecrated in Jerusalem on Tuesday, the day of Tisha Be'av on which Jews lament the destruction of the Temple.

Community center activists discovered posters of swastikas and threats aimed at the Supreme Court smeared on the Katamon neighborhood memorial, commemorating some 270 local residents who died fighting in Israel's wars.

Activists filed a complaint with police who opened an investigation into the incident.

"It is shocking and disturbing that such a thing should happen on Tisha Be'av, a day marked by soul-searching over baseless hatred," community center director Avi Nuriel said.

According to Jewish tradition, the Second Temple was destroyed in the Jewish Revolt against the Romans because of the sin of 'baseless hatred' manifested in internecine fighting among rival Jewish factions.

Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupilianski said that the war memorial defacement during Tisha Be'av is sad proof that basless hatred still exists.