The Sofia Synagogue was vandalized with anti-Israel graffiti last Monday, according to the congregation and the Bulgarian Central Israelite Religious Council, the latest in a series of vandalism incidents targeting Jewish sites in Bulgaria.
A synagogue wall with a display of memorial stickers commemorating IDF soldiers and civilians who died during the Israel-Hamas War was defaced with the slogan “Free Palestine.”
The council said on Facebook that the “antisemitic” act insulted “the memory of the dead and, instead of promoting empathy, humanity, and peace,” incited “hatred.”
Authorities were notified of the incident, and the graffiti was cleaned quickly.
“We will not allow anyone to mock the memory of the innocent and justify aggression and terror,” said the synagogue and council. “No one can erase the memory of the innocent victims.”
Several antisemitic attacks haunt Jews in Bulgaria
The incident came after the vandalization of another synagogue and two Holocaust memorials in October.
On October 20, the Shalom Organization of Jews in Bulgaria said that the police had identified suspects in the scrawling of the word “Nazi” on a Varna synagogue.
It was on October 9 that the organization had reported that the Sofia Monument of Salvation, dedicated to Bulgarians who opposed the deportation and persecution of Jews during World War II, had been defaced with red paint.
The Burgas Monument of Gratitude, which the Alef Center for Jewish-Bulgarian Cooperation had built 10 years ago to commemorate those in the country who had opposed the Holocaust, was reportedly spray-painted green on October 8.
According to the center, the incident was preceded by an August 8 vandalism that involved stickers placed on the same Burgas memorial. The stickers depicted pro-Nazi Union of Bulgarian National Legions leader Gen. Hristo Lukov.
On August 28, the Alef Center announced that the facade of a former Burgas Jewish school turned art gallery was vandalized with graffiti equating a Star of David to a Nazi swastika.
The Shalom organization said on September 10 that another Sofia Holocaust monument dedicated to attor