Jewish cemetery vandalized in New York State

Police are launching an investigation into the desecration of a Rochester Jewish cemetery. It was the third such incident in the US within two weeks.

Rochester police are investigating vandalism at the Waad Hakolel Cemetery, also known as the Stone Road Cemetery, where at least five headstones were found toppled Thursday morning. It was the third act of vandalism in a wave of Jewish cemetery desecrations in the US over the past two weeks.

The incident has yet to be labeled anti-Semitism.

The non-profit organization that runs the cemetery says that so far, no swastikas or similar anti-Jewish graffiti have been discovered, so the attack has not been labeled a hate crime.

Rochester’s local Democrat & Chronicle reported in an interview with the non-profit’s president, Michael Phillips, that he doesn’t want to “label it (the vandalism) anti-Semitism. I don’t think there’s any proof of that.”

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement, “New York has zero tolerance for bias or discrimination of any kind, and we will always stand united in the face of anti-Semitism and divisiveness. It is repugnant to everything we believe as New Yorkers, and we will continue to do everything in our power to bring to justice those responsible for these cowardly attacks on the values we hold dear.”

The governor recently announced he will be visiting Israel in the near future as a gesture of solidarity and as a statement against anti-Semitism. His last trip to Israel was in 2014.

By: World Israel News Staff