Antisemitism in Spain: Swastika sprayed on Maimonides statue
A swastika was discovered on Saturday on the base of the statue of the rabbi and philosopher who was born in the city in the 12th century. The deputy mayor called it an "attack on heritage" and the police have opened an investigation.
A statue of Maimonides in the Jewish quarter of the city of Cordoba, Spain, was spray-painted with a swastika. The symbol was discovered on the base of the statue on Saturday morning.
The Cordoba municipality condemned the act, and Deputy Mayor Cintia Bustos defined it as an "attack on the city's heritage." The investigation of the case was transferred from the local police to the national police, but no arrests or progress in the investigation have been reported yet.
The bronze statue was placed in the square in 1964 to mark 760 years since the death of Maimonides, a native of the city. The statue, the work of Spanish sculptor Amadeo Ruiz Olmos, has since been considered one of the most recognizable symbols of Cordoba.
Maimonides was born in Cordoba in the 12th century but was forced to leave the city with his family at a young age due to persecution by the authorities. His family wandered to Morocco and then to the Land of Israel, until they settled in the city of Fustat in Egypt, where he lived most of his life.
