2 weeks ago
Warsaw's main synagogue was attacked pinch firebombs by an chartless perpetrator, but sustained minimal harm and cipher was hurt, Poland's main rabbi said Wednesday. The incident was powerfully condemned by governmental leaders.
The onslaught connected nan Nożyk Synagogue happened astir 1 a.m., nan country's American-born main rabbi, Michael Schudrich, said. The synagogue was deed pinch 3 firebombs, aliases Molotov cocktails, and only sustained minimal harm "by tremendous luck aliases miracle," he said.
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Hours later, nan ambassadors of nan U.S. and Israel gathered astatine nan spot pinch Jewish organization leaders and Polish officials representing nan president, nan nationalist parliament and nan metropolis authorities to condemn nan onslaught and definitive solidarity pinch Poland’s Jewish community.
Fire harm is visible connected nan façade of nan Nożyk Synagogue successful Warsaw, Poland, connected Wednesday, May 1, 2024. The synagogue was attacked pinch firebombs successful nan nighttime by an chartless perpetrator, but sustained minimal harm and cipher was hurt. The incident was powerfully condemned by governmental leaders. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)
A achromatic area that was nan consequence of wherever nan firebombs deed was visible adjacent a crushed level model of nan synagogue, nan only surviving prewar Jewish location of dream successful nan Polish capital.
"The Nożyk synagogue is simply a awesome of survival, and we guidelines successful solidarity pinch Nożyk coming and tomorrow," U.S. Ambassador Mark Brzezinski told reporters astatine a briefing held adjacent nan damaged facade.
It was unclear who carried retired nan onslaught but constabulary person opened an investigation, Schudrich said.
Poland's President Andrzej Duda wrote connected X that he condemned "the shameful attack," saying, "There is nary spot for antisemitism successful Poland! There is nary spot for hatred successful Poland!"
Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski noted that nan incident fell connected nan 20th day of Poland joining nan European Union on pinch 9 different countries, astir of them Central European nations that had been nether nan Soviet sphere of power for decades.
"Thank God nary 1 was hurt. I wonderment who is trying to disrupt nan day of our accession to nan EU," Sikorski wrote connected X. "Maybe nan aforesaid ones who scribbled Stars of David successful Paris?"
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France said past twelvemonth that it had been nan target of a Russian online destabilization run that utilized automated social-media accounts to whip up contention and disorder astir spray-painted Stars of David that appeared connected Paris streets and fed siren astir surging antisemitism successful France during nan Israel-Hamas war.
Poland, which until nan Holocaust was nan location of Europe’s largest Jewish community, numbering immoderate 3.3 million, now counts a fewer 1000 Jewish inhabitants successful its population.
