Swastika Found in Elevator at State Department

• July 27, 2021, 3:29 p.m. ET

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken sent a missive to employees of the State Department connected Tuesday saying that a swastika was recovered this week successful an elevator astatine the department’s office successful Washington.

Mr. Blinken said that the graffiti had been removed and that an probe was ongoing. Mr. Blinken said the section had nary tolerance for the hateful images and reiterated the administration’s stance against anti-Semitism. The memo was archetypal reported by Axios.

“Anti-Semitism is not a relic of the past. It has nary spot successful the U.S., astatine the State Department oregon anyplace else,” Mr. Blinken said. “To our Jewish colleagues delight cognize however grateful we are for your work and however arrogant we are to beryllium your colleagues.”

The memo came connected the time that testimony began connected Capitol Hill astir the postelection riot connected Jan. 6, erstwhile an aggravated mob shouting racist and anti-Semitic messages stormed the spot of government.

Mr. Blinken’s stepfather, Samuel Pisar, survived 2 attraction camps arsenic a child, and arsenic an big worked to beforehand Holocaust consciousness successful Europe. Mr. Blinken has said Mr. Pisar’s communicative helped to power his content that the U.S. indispensable face bigotry and atrocity astir the world.

Mr. Blinken participated successful a Holocaust consciousness ceremonial successful Germany past month, wherever helium announced a associated U.S.-German programme to enactment nationalist acquisition astir the Nazi era.

In a statement, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, called the swastika “a superior incidental of anti-Semitic vandalism, which erstwhile again shows that anti-Semitism does not separate betwixt Jews successful Israel and Jews successful America, and harms not lone Israel but the full world.

“We indispensable combat unneurotic resolutely against anti-Semitism of immoderate kind,” the connection said, “and bring to justness anyone who acts retired of hatred for the Jewish people.”

Michael Crowley contributed reporting.