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Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-01-21
CONTENTS
[01] State. Dept. condemns arson attack on Hania synagogue
[01] State. Dept. condemns arson attack on Hania synagogue
WASHINGTON (ANA-MPA) -- The US State Department was the latest
institution this week to condemn a second arson attack against a
historic Jewish synagogue in the Crete port-city of Hania, an incident
that generated a firestorm of condemnation from within Greece as well
as a high-profile denunciation by the Ecumenical Patriarch, among
others.
"We strongly condemn the January 5 and January 16 arson attacks on the
Etz-Hayyim Synagogue in the city of Chania on the island of Crete. The
Synagogue dates back to the Middle Ages and is one of the last Jewish
monuments on the island. An attack on the Etz-Hayyim Synagogue is an
attack on Greece's history and heritage. The second attack caused
severe damage to the Synagogue, destroying nearly 2,000 books and
severely damaging the building's wooden roof," the State Department
statement read, adding:
"This attack was clearly intended to intimidate and terrorize Greece's
Jewish community and is only the latest of several incidents of
anti-Semitic vandalism throughout Greece over the past few years. We
applaud the Greek government for condemning these attacks and taking a
strong stand against anti-Semitism and racism."
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