Vandals daubed swastikas and other Nazi symbols and damaged more than 50 gravestones in the Jewish cemetery in Moldova's capital, officials said on Thursday.
Forensic experts and prosecutors on Thursday sealed off the cemetery in Chisinau, once a thriving center of Jewish culture in the Russian empire. A criminal case was opened on grounds of desecration and inciting racial hatred but no further details were provided on the incident.
The cemetery was also vandalized in 2020, when 42 headstones were damaged and 30 daubed with paint.
Home to 200,000 Jews a century ago, Moldova now has about 5,000. A notorious anti-Jewish pogrom in Chisinau in 1903 killed 49 people, injured 600 and destroyed hundreds of Jewish homes and shops in the city.
Antisemitism continues to rise around the world
Jewish community leaders from seven countries released the first annual J7 Report on Antisemitism at a press conference in Berlin in May, documenting a marked rise in antisemitic incidents.
The J7 Large Communities’ Task Force Against Antisemitism includes organizations from the United States, the United Kingdom, Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, and Germany. It was created in response to growing concern over antisemitism in Diaspora communities and works to promote data sharing and coordinated responses.
According to the report, Australia recorded a 317% increase in antisemitic incidents in 2024.
In Germany, there were over 38 antisemitic incidents for every 1,000 Jewish residents.
The UK reported 13 incidents per 1,000 Jewish residents.
The US recorded a 5% increase in antisemitic acts. Preliminary data from other J7 countries also indicated elevated or sustained high levels of antisemitic activity.
The report attributed much of the increase to developments following the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in Israel.
It also identified recurring trends across the J7 countries: Rising antisemitic violence, attacks on Jewish institutions, a surge in online hate, concerns among Jews about openly expressing their identity, and a lack of accountability for perpetrators.