FadeTheButcher
07-16-2004, 08:35 AM
http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=548145§ion=news
WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Swastikas and Nazi slogans have been gouged around Jewish graves in New Zealand, a day after it imposed diplomatic sanctions on Israel over two suspected Israeli spies who tried to obtain a passport by fraud.
Sixteen graves were attacked overnight in the Jewish part of a cemetery in Wellington that dates to the 1880s, a city council spokesman said
"Someone's used some sort of stick or tool to gouge swastikas into the grass around the graves. Words like 'Sieg Heil' have been scratched into the footpath," he said on Friday.
Sieg Heil was a common Nazi salutation.
The head of the New Zealand Jewish Council said the desecration of the graves was linked to the passport case and the resulting sanctions against Israel.
"I think there is a direct connection between the very strong expressions against Israel and people here feeling they can take it out on Jews," David Zwartz told National Radio.
"It seems to me Israel-bashing one day, Jew-bashing the next day."
New Zealand has frozen all high-level contact between the two countries and said the two men, jailed for six months, were linked to Israel's intelligence services.
New Zealand has small Jewish communities, but has no history of anti-Semitic behaviour, with only occasional acts of vandalism of Jewish buildings.
Prime Minister Helen Clark said Israel's offer of an informal apology for the passport affair was not enough.
Israel's Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said on Thursday Israel was sorry about the incident, and would seek to restore relations.
"The ball is in Israel's court as to where it wants to move from here," Clark said on National Radio. "Three months ago we asked for an apology and an explanation. That has not been forthcoming." But she said it was possible Israel would wait until the two men had served their sentences before offering any apology.
WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Swastikas and Nazi slogans have been gouged around Jewish graves in New Zealand, a day after it imposed diplomatic sanctions on Israel over two suspected Israeli spies who tried to obtain a passport by fraud.
Sixteen graves were attacked overnight in the Jewish part of a cemetery in Wellington that dates to the 1880s, a city council spokesman said
"Someone's used some sort of stick or tool to gouge swastikas into the grass around the graves. Words like 'Sieg Heil' have been scratched into the footpath," he said on Friday.
Sieg Heil was a common Nazi salutation.
The head of the New Zealand Jewish Council said the desecration of the graves was linked to the passport case and the resulting sanctions against Israel.
"I think there is a direct connection between the very strong expressions against Israel and people here feeling they can take it out on Jews," David Zwartz told National Radio.
"It seems to me Israel-bashing one day, Jew-bashing the next day."
New Zealand has frozen all high-level contact between the two countries and said the two men, jailed for six months, were linked to Israel's intelligence services.
New Zealand has small Jewish communities, but has no history of anti-Semitic behaviour, with only occasional acts of vandalism of Jewish buildings.
Prime Minister Helen Clark said Israel's offer of an informal apology for the passport affair was not enough.
Israel's Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said on Thursday Israel was sorry about the incident, and would seek to restore relations.
"The ball is in Israel's court as to where it wants to move from here," Clark said on National Radio. "Three months ago we asked for an apology and an explanation. That has not been forthcoming." But she said it was possible Israel would wait until the two men had served their sentences before offering any apology.