Several walls on the University of Vienna campus were vandalized with antisemitic slogans and defamatory messages. The Institute for Jewish Studies, which has also recently been the target of antisemitic messages, is situated on the same campus.
The University of Vienna has strongly condemned these recent incidents, which involve smears, antisemitism, and the trivialization of terrorism through posts on social networks. A spokesperson for the University of Vienna has also confirmed that a formal report has been filed.
The defaced areas on the university campus displayed offensive slogans such as ‘apartheid’ and ‘genocide,’ along with a guilt narrative and exoneration that is reminiscent of neo-Nazi ideologies. This situation has left Jewish students feeling unsafe within the university environment.
Alon Ishay, the representative of Jewish students, calls for a more proactive response from Austrian universities. He insists that universities must address such incidents and send a clear message that antisemitic defamations and guilt-based theories have no place at universities in Vienna or Austria.