The old Jewish cemetery of Carouge in Geneva was desecrated last night. Several tombstones were overturned and sprayed with slogans “death to the Jews,” “your dead shall never rest in peace” and “Hiltler’s lesson has not been formatted.” The word “Jude” and large swastikas were drawn on many of the tombstones.
The Geneva police department was alerted by an anonymous phone caller who said “The Nazis are still active. Go and see the cemetery in Carouge.” The police department has opened on investigation but a department spokesman said that it was too early to determine who desecrated the cemetery. The police think it may be a political act, but do not rule out that it may have been committed by emotionally disturbed people.
While the Swiss police want to minimize the importance of the incident, Israeli circles in Switzerland connect this act with the desecration of the Jewish cemetery in Basel two months ago. As Geneva and Basel border on France it is felt there might be a connection between the incidents here and in France. Some Jews in Geneva feel that the acts of desecration may be the work of French anti-Semites who cross the border into Switzerland.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
