Authorities in Moldova have opened a criminal investigation after vandals desecrated more than 50 Jewish gravestones in the capital city of Chisinau. The headstones were daubed with swastikas and other Nazi symbols in what officials described as a hate crime. Prosecutors and forensic teams cordoned off the site on Thursday as evidence was gathered, reports The Jerusalem Post.
The case is being treated as an act of incitement to racial hatred and desecration of burial grounds. Officials have yet to release further details or identify any suspects.
This is not the first time Chisinau’s Jewish cemetery has been targeted. In 2020, vandals damaged 42 gravestones and painted over another 30. Once a thriving hub of Jewish life within the Russian Empire, Chisinau (formerly Kishinev) is historically scarred by one of the most notorious pogroms in Eastern Europe: the 1903 Chisinau pogrom left 49 Jews dead, 600 injured, and hundreds of homes and businesses destroyed. Today, Moldova’s Jewish population is estimated at just 5,000 — a steep decline from the 200,000 who lived there a century ago.
The attack in Chisinau comes amid a troubling global rise in antisemitism, as detailed in the recently released J7 Report on Antisemitism. Launched in Berlin in May, the report is a joint effort by Jewish leaders from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and Argentina. The task force was established to promote data sharing and foster coordinated international responses to antisemitic threats.
Key findings from the report include:
Australia reported a staggering 317% rise in antisemitic incidents in 2024.
Germany recorded over 38 incidents per 1,000 Jewish residents.
The UK reported 13 incidents per 1,000 Jews, while the US saw a 5% increase overall.
The report links the surge to the fallout from the 7 October 2023 terrorist attacks in Israel, citing it as a common trigger across multiple countries.
It also highlighted alarming trends: increased violence against Jews, attacks on Jewish institutions, a sharp rise in online hate, growing fear among Jews about expressing their identity publicly, and widespread impunity for perpetrators.
The desecration in Moldova underscores the enduring threat of antisemitism in both historic and contemporary contexts — from Eastern European graveyards to digital platforms and city streets around the world.
Photo credit: COURTESY RELIGIOUS SERVICES MINISTRY
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