© Ruptly
A Jewish pilgrimage site in Ukraine has been desecrated, sparking shock in Israel. The grave of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov was defaced by red paint and a pig head with a swastika carved in it, while some pilgrims were reportedly attacked with tear gas.
The malicious act occurred in the Ukrainian town of Uman on Tuesday night, the sexton of the synagogue, Rabbi Yisrael Elhadad, told the Ynet news website. There were five or six worshippers at the site when two attackers arrived and sprayed them with tear gas, he said. Two people were taken to hospital for treatment after the attack.
Pictures from the scene show red paint that looks like blood smeared across the floor and walls of the synagogue. Several pieces of pig, including a head with a swastika carved in it, were left behind by the assailants. Elhadad described them as neo-Nazis and said they were shouting anti-Semitic slogans during the attack.
No arrests were immediately made after the incident, which local police are investigating as an act of hooliganism, Ukrainian TV news channel 112 reported.
Israeli officials and politicians have expressed outrage over the anti-Semitic attack and demanded a thorough investigation.
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