A Melbourne father was horrified to discover his local park was vandalized to display an anti-Semitic message on the grass.
The Jewish father, who asked not to be named, was taking his one-year-old daughter to Mill Park in Melbourne’s northwest when he discovered the distressing message.
It is understood someone burned or cut up the message “Zionism = Nazi” on the grass of the popular playground.
“To be honest, I’m still traumatized by the massacre that took place in Israel,” said the Israeli-born father.
“I was thinking about how kids my daughter’s age were massacred a year ago, but trying to enjoy quality time with my daughter… when suddenly I see her running around with this hate speech.”
Anti-Defamation Commission Chairman Dvir Abramovich said anti-Semitic graffiti was “not normal.”
“The monster of anti-Semitism has reared its head again and punched all Australian Jews in the gut,” Dr Abramovich said.
‘What should have been a joyful family outing turned into a nightmare.
Anti-Semitic graffiti was found scrawled on the grass of Mill Park, a beloved playground in Melbourne.
“By taking his one-year-old daughter to calmly kick a ball for the first time, that precious milestone was shattered.
‘In one fell swoop, the poison of anti-Semitism had contaminated a space intended for children and families and this stomach-churning act of evil is a disturbing reminder that even a simple day in the park can be poisoned by intolerance.
“Spreading such poison on a playground is a new level of cowardice and cruelty.”
Dr Abramovich said it was important that public spaces were protected from acts of hate.
Anti-Defamation Commission Chairman Dvir Abramovich Says Graffiti in Park Was Horrible
“Every Australian Jew deserves to raise their children in a safe place, free from the dark shadow of hatred that this graffiti represents,” he said.
‘This latest incident is a blatant violation of every family’s right to peace, a sick distortion of history and an attack on the collective memory of Holocaust survivors.
‘Australian Jews should not wonder whether a day in the park will turn into a confrontation with prejudice.
“Public spaces should be sanctuaries of joy and safety, not stages for the ugliest expressions of hate.”
Whittlesea Town Council has been contacted.