A mural of a Holocaust survivor in Italy has been defaced by vandals carried out by an 'insane act'.
A mural in Milan by artist Alejandro Palombo depicts Holocaust survivors Liliana Segre and Sami Modiano, with their faces and Star of David scratched out. Survivors of Auschwitz-Birkenau are depicted wearing striped camp uniforms and bulletproof vests.
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The artwork, unveiled on September 28, aims to highlight the memory of the Holocaust amid rising anti-Semitism in Europe.
The defacement came on the heels of a pro-Palestinian rally in Milan, where some demonstrators targeted 94-year-old Italian senator Segre, labeling him a “Zionist agent.” Palombo was outraged by this rhetoric and responded with a mural.
The Palombo mural depicts two of Italy's most prominent Holocaust survivors. (Courtesy of Alejandro Palombo)
The vandalism has sparked a backlash across Italy. Mario Venezia, director of Italy's Holocaust Memorial Museum, called it a “crazy act” that “damages the wall but not history.” Italian Democratic Party leader Piero Fassino also condemned the move, calling it a “despicable attack on the memory of the Holocaust.”
Palombo's murals often address high-profile issues. Last year, he created a mural depicting Holocaust victim Anne Frank next to a Palestinian girl.
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A mural depicting Vlada Patapov, the “girl in red” who survived the Hamas attack during the Nova festival on October 7, 2023, was also defaced shortly after it was completed.
“The rage of anti-Semitism unleashed by Hamas is overwhelming Jews around the world. This resurrection of horror from the past must make us all reflect, because it threatens freedom, security, and the lives of all of us. Because it's damaging our future,” Palombo said. told Euronews.
Liliana Segre was appointed to the Italian Senate for Life in 2018 for her patriotic act by President Sergio Mattarella. (Courtesy of Alejandro Palombo)
“Terrorism is the very denial of humanity, it has nothing to do with resistance and it uses people for a purpose. [the] To divide them and drag them into the abyss of evil, into the never-ending whirlpool of hell. There can be no peace unless terrorism is eradicated. [legitimizing] That would mean a death sentence for all of humanity,” Palombo added.
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Rome's Shoah Museum condemned the vandalism in a statement, saying: “These acts not only damage art, but also undermine the value of memory, which is the basis for building a conscious and just society.” said.
