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Belfast reeling after spate of hate attacks

August 21, 2014 12:23

By

Marcus Dysch,

Marcus Dysch

1 min read

Belfast's Jewish community is coming to terms with a series of antisemitic incidents that have followed demonstrations over Gaza.

The city's main Orthodox synagogue was attacked and had windows smashed on two consecutive nights at the height of the conflict last month.

Its rabbi, David Singer, said he had received abusive phone calls. The community was maintaining a low key response. Steven Jaffe, of Northern Ireland Friends of Israel (Nifi), said Belfast's Jews were "not thinking about leaving, but they are concerned. The community is largely older, with retired people, and they are shocked by what's happened."

In one of the most widely publicised incidents, officials removed a plaque marking the birthplace of the late Israeli president Chaim Herzog following a series of attacks and graffiti daubings.