Ireland’s wave of antisemitism shows no sign of fading. Antisemitic graffiti was sprayed on a rural road in Ireland’s Louth County, according to photos and videos shared on social media.
The Combat Antisemitism Movement said the graffiti appeared on the R165 road between Kingscourt and Ardee, north of Dublin. The markings included Nazi swastikas, Stars of David and the antisemitic slur “Jew rat.”
The movement condemned the incident, saying, "Ireland not only feels like the 1930s. It looks like it."
Holocaust Awareness Ireland said the graffiti reflects some of the most extreme antisemitic imagery used in Nazi Germany.
"The depiction of Jews as rats or vermin was a keystone in the propaganda prompted by Josef Goebbels to dehumanize Jews", the organization said. It added that German society normalized such imagery even before the Holocaust. When the Nazis began implementing the Final Solution in 1942, they used the same term applied to exterminating vermin — vernichten — to describe the murder of Jews.
The organization described the graffiti as "a bellwether of national sentiment", warning that "it makes a statement on the bystander & the implications of a citizenry that accepts such explicit threats to a single ethnic minority, in public view."
John Sheridan, a local council member from the Fianna Fáil party, told Irishnews that the incident was an unacceptable attack on Jews living in Ireland and must not be tolerated. Harming people because of their faith is not acceptable, he said.
Louth County Council confirmed it is investigating the incident. A council spokesperson said that "The Council strongly condemns the use of antisemitic language or imagery in any form. He added that "Such acts are unacceptable and stand against our core values of equality and inclusiveness, and our commitment to fostering a respectful and welcoming community for all throughout County Louth."