Arsonists in Lugano attacked a synagogue, a Jewish-owned
store and an apartment nearby on Sunday night in what Jewish
community leaders termed "antisemitic" attacks. Local police
declined to characterize the attacks and were investigating
the motive along with their investigation of the crimes.
Lugano is located in the south of Switzerland near Italy. The
main language spoken in the city is Italian. The Jewish
community there is a small one that has lived there
peacefully for almost a century. A yeshiva was formerly
located on the Italian border and a small chareidi
kehilloh led by the Admor of Biala resides in the
city.
This was the first time a shul has been attacked in
Switzerland, but the number of antisemitic incidents rose
last year to 34. Most of these were antisemitic graffiti
painted in various locations.
An explosion ripped through the small beis medrash at
the back of the shul around 11:30 on Sunday night, and the
ensuing fire caused considerable damage, according to the
head of Lugano's fire department. The synagogue lost its
entire library in the fire, and many sifrei kodesh
were destroyed or damaged. The use of a Molotov cocktail to
ignite the building resembles Arab attacks on botei
knesses in the suburbs of Paris in recent years.
A fabric shop located a few hundred yards away that is owned
by a Jewish family was torched about half an hour later.
Police say both blazes are connected, and the Jewish
community is also convinced of this.
The president of Lugano's Jewish community described the
attacks as "antisemitic," but police declined to comment on
the motive. No one was hurt in any of the incidents. Police
said that there were signs of a break-in at the shul and at
the store.
The Jewish community was stunned by the attacks. There were
no prior threats or warnings. Elio Bollag, the president of
the Jewish community in Lugano, said he was appalled by the
attack on the synagogue, which had come out of the blue.
He said that the shul itself was built before the Second
World War and was recently renovated. It is the last
operating shul in the city. The shop that was torched was
also the last operating Jewish-owned shop in the city and one
of the oldest stores there. Years ago there were at least 10
shops owned by members of the community. The store appears to
have been a total loss.
Mr. Bollag said that prior to this incident he was not aware
of any antisemitism in Lugano. "There was no antisemitism in
Lugano, and that's why the incident surprised us," he said.
"I think it's a political act by radical left-wing activists
who tie us to politics and make the connection between Jews
and Israel."
The Jewish community is reserved about its faith in the Swiss
authorities, who have so far not solved the murder of HaRav
Avrohom Yehoshua Greenbaum Hy"d. HaRav Greenbaum was
shot to death on Thursday night, 17 Sivan, 5761 (2001). HaRav
Greenbaum was the head of the Beis Mordechai kollel in
Bnei Brak and one of the most prominent talmidim of
the Ponovezh and Novardok yeshivos. He was shot to death on
his way to a synagogue in a Jewish neighborhood in Zurich. He
was in Switzerland on a routine trip.
Various peculiar incidents have been taking place recently in
Switzerland. Police are keeping the details obscure due to
concerns about escalation and encouraging the criminals. Last
week a Jewish banker from France was killed in his home in
Geneva, and police have not divulged any information on
whether they are pursuing antisemitic or criminal leads.
Observers believe that Hizbullah operates terrorist cells in
Switzerland with the assistance of the Iranian embassy, which
is described as a headquarters for Iranian services in all of
Europe. European terror experts have not dismissed the
possibility that the attacks were perpetrated by Hizbullah or
Iranian agents following the model of the Arabs of the French
suburbs, in order to send a message to Israel and the US
regarding pressure on Syria to withdraw from Lebanon or in
response to reports of preparations for an attack on Iran.
