Not a fake hate crime.
Via King 5:
Sen. Maria Cantwell met Friday with about a dozen faith leaders in Seattle, as part of a round table organized on the same day as another case of vandalism targeting a local synagogue.
Anti-Semitic and Holocaust-denying graffiti was found spray-painted on the campus of Temple De Hirsch Sinai.
According to Seattle police, an off-duty officer spotted the the spray painted message Friday around 5 a.m. The message, describing the Holocaust as “fake history,” was found on a exterior wall of the temple.
“The vast majority of Americans need to stand up to stand up and resist this type of intolerance and to demonstrate in no uncertain terms, that it is not acceptable and not permissible,” Rabbi Daniel Weiner told KING 5 following the incident at his congregation.
“Temple continues to take vigilant, substantive security measures to insure the safety and well-being of our community. In light of other recent threats and upcoming celebrations, we have further enhanced these measures,” said Weiner in a statement to members of his congregation.
SPD’s Bias Crimes unit is investigating the hate-graffiti, and there will be additional police patrols in the area.
Rabbi Weiner had been scheduled to attend a round table with faith leaders convened by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), but had to stay behind in light of the incident at his synagogue.
More than ten leaders representing half a dozen different religions shared their experiences of an increase in incidents, bullying and vandalism.
“I just recently experienced a hate crime. Somebody carved a swastika in the stairwell of my apartment building,” shared Rabbi Sydney Danziger.
“The problem that we’re facing right now is the emotional and mental violence. Right now, within the Jewish community, they’re just threats; we ache for all of the other communities were it’s not just threats,” she continued. “At the same time, this emotional violence has had a tremendous toll on us in just a few short months.”