The headquarters of the World Zionist Organization (WZO) in Tel Aviv. Photo: Screenshot.

JNS.org – Following a series of antisemitic incidents across Europe in recent days, World Zionist Organization (WZO) Vice Chairman Yaakov Hagoel on Monday called for urgent action.

“Antisemitic events have become commonplace for the Jews around the world. Unfortunately, for worldwide governments, the window of time to build a plan to eradicate antisemitism is running out,” said Hagoel.

Among the antisemitic incidents were inscriptions such as “Juden Raus” (Jews out) appearing on the walls of a cemetery in Soveria Mannelli in southern Italy and swastikas and antisemitic slogans being painted in the stairwell, on the sidewalk and in front of the house of Sherlock Baines (65), a Jew living in Dusseldorf whose parents were concentration camp inmates.

In Berlin, a woman was speaking Hebrew with her children while shopping when a foreign man turned to them and said, “These Jews are everywhere, get away from here, Zidovsky scum” (in Polish, “Zidovsky” can be translated to “Jew”; in Russian it is an antisemitic word).

“Bystanders noticed the antisemitic insult without responding to it,” said the WZO in a statement.

In Weimar, Germany, portraits of survivors of the Buchenwald concentration camp on display as part of an open-air exhibition were vandalized.

Hagoel warned that such incidents will only increase as the coronavirus crisis continues.

“Coronavirus-related antisemitic events will escalate and become even more violent and physical,” said Hagoel.