Police in Spain are investigating an antisemitic act of vandalism after a swastika was painted on the statue of the Rambam in the historic Jewish quarter of Córdoba, reports the Jerusalem Post.
The graffiti appeared on the base of the bronze statue of Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, better known as Maimonides or the Rambam, in Plaza de Tiberiades. The monument stands in the heart of Córdoba’s former Jewish district, where the medieval Jewish philosopher and scholar was born.
Local authorities swiftly condemned the attack and ordered the graffiti to be covered while specialist restoration work is carried out.
Cintia Bustos, the city’s acting mayor, described the vandalism as an attack on Córdoba’s cultural heritage and condemned what she called the hateful message conveyed by the Nazi symbol.
Antonio Hurtado, spokesperson for the Socialist Party (PSOE) in Córdoba, also denounced the incident, saying the swastika targeted not only an internationally significant historical figure but also the city’s rich historical legacy. He confirmed that immediate steps had been taken to clean the monument.
Spain’s Jewish community responded with similar condemnation.
In a statement, the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain described the attack as an assault on a figure who belongs not only to Jewish history but also to the shared cultural heritage of Córdoba, Spain and the wider world.
The Jewish Community of Barcelona also condemned the vandalism, noting that its Great Synagogue bears the name „Maimonides” in honour of one of the greatest Sephardic thinkers. The community said that defacing his statue with a Nazi symbol was an attack on shared history, culture and the values of learning, freedom and coexistence that his legacy represents.
Maimonides (1138–1204) is regarded as one of Judaism’s greatest philosophers, legal scholars and physicians. Born in Córdoba during the city’s flourishing Jewish period, his writings continue to influence Jewish thought, philosophy and medicine around the world.
The bronze statue was created by sculptor Amadeo Ruiz Olmos and unveiled in 1964 to mark the 760th anniversary of Maimonides’ death. It has since become one of the best-known landmarks in Córdoba’s historic Jewish quarter.
The municipality has confirmed that a specialist conservation team will restore the monument, while Spain’s National Police are investigating the incident.
The attack is the latest in a series of acts of vandalism affecting historic sites in Córdoba during 2026. Earlier this year, Arabic graffiti was sprayed onto the city’s Roman Bridge, while previous years have also seen swastikas painted on other historic monuments.
The latest incident comes amid wider concern over rising antisemitic incidents across Spain and elsewhere in Europe, where Jewish heritage sites, synagogues and memorials have increasingly become targets of vandalism and hate crimes.
Photo credit: SCREENSHOT/X
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