On 24.10.2023, the President of KISE and I.K. Thessaloniki David Saltiel and the Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Thessaloniki Sibylla Bendig participated in erasing the anti-Semitic graffiti that was done a few days ago - on the occasion of Israel's war with the terrorist Hamas, on the mural on Michail Kalou Street, with the theme the displacement of the Jews of Thessaloniki during the Holocaust.
Article on the website thestival, 24.10.2023:
German Consul and President of the Israeli Community erase graffiti on Holocaust mural
With brushes in hand, the Consul General of Germany in Thessaloniki Sibylla Bendik and the president of the Central Israeli Council and the Israeli Community of Thessaloniki David Saltiel, symbolically erased the slogans written by unknown people on the mural of the Holocaust of the Jews in Thessaloniki.
"I am shocked, anti-Semitism is unacceptable, especially in this city", pointed out German Consul Sibylla Bendick and emphasized that, "Germany stands by the Jewish community here and throughout the world. Those who vandalized the mural must be punished."
"We came symbolically to erase those anti-Semitic words they wrote on the Jewish Holocaust mural, which has become a symbol for the city. We want to show that we are against anti-Semitism and racism. We are free people and we want to coexist with love", Underlined o David Saltiel, president of the Central Jewish Council and the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki.
Referring to what is taking place in Israel, he noted: "Israel for us is our second home. We support Israel's struggle for survival. Innocent people were killed violently, more than 1.400 and it was an event that they had not foreseen and this means that we must always be vigilant. It's a massacre." He emphasized that "the Israeli community is not only supported by Germany and Greece, as the prime minister visited Israel yesterday, but also many states with the visit of their presidents and prime ministers supported Israel's just struggle for existence. Unfortunately, they want to eliminate this state and this cannot be returned."
The municipality's crews have started early in the morning the restoration of the mural that honors the victims of the Jewish community in Thessaloniki during the Second World War. With yellow paint, they erased slogans spray-painted by unknown people against Jews and in favor of Gaza ("Free Gaza" and "Jews=Nazis").
