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| Arrests over UK cemetery desecration
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Two men were arrested last week in connection to the violation of a Jewish cemetery in central England.
More than 30 gravestones were smashed or overturned in the Nottingham Road cemetery in Derby on 20 June, causing an estimated ?30,000 worth of damage.
The incident, which is being treated as racially-motivated, was discovered by police at around 2am that night after they received calls from local residents complaining of a disturbance.
Although only ten Jews are believed to live in Derby, many more are buried at the gravesite.
A spokesman for Derby police said: “Two 22-year-old men have been arrested on suspicion of racially motivated criminal damage.”
No more expected
Noting the small Jewish community and that there are no synagogues in Derby, the police spokesman added: “We realise the attack will be very upsetting for the families of the people whose graves have been damaged, but we don’t think there will be any further problems in connection with the attack.”
Local MP Bob Laxton, spoke of his concern at the severity of the attack. Laxton told the Jewish News: “Irrespective of whether the Jewish community in Derby is 10 or 110, this is terribly distressing to the relatives and friends of those buried there.
“You cant get your head round why anyone would do this.”
The incident was the ninth desecration of a Jewish cemetery in the UK in the last two years.
Lord Greville Janner, chairman of the Holocaust Educational Trust, spoke of his disgust at the incident.
“I know our entire Jewish community sends its deepest sympathies to the families of those whose graves were desecrated.
“To desecrate a cemetery is not only an affront to the dead byt also and especially to those who live.”
Anti-Semitism prevalent
Although a recent report into UK anti-Semitism indicated that the number of incidents dropped in the last year, it is clearly still prevalent throughout Britain.
The study, undertaken by the Community Security Trust, highlighted many incidents, including grav desecrations and physical attacks. The recent comments by London mayor Ken Livingstone where he told a pair of Jewish businessmen to go back to where they came from have done little to help the situation.
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