Italian Jewish groups condemn vandalism of memorial plaque for Jewish terror victim

Italian Jewish organizations have issued condemnations after a plaque at a synagogue in Rome honoring a Jewish victim of terrorism was vandalized.

A plaque dedicated to Stefano Gaj Tachè at the Monteverde synagogue was found vandalized over the weekend with anti-Israel slogans in black paint. The vandals also sprayed “Free Palestine” and “Monteverde is anti-Zionist and anti-fascist” — referring to the neighborhood’s name — on the synagogue’s walls.

The two-year-old boy was the victim of a terror attack by armed Palestinian terrorists at the entrance to the Great Synagogue of Rome on October 9, 1982.

That attack, carried out by members of the Abu Nidal terrorist organization, killed the child and wounded 34 worshipers as they left Shabbat morning prayers. The five attackers threw grenades and fired submachine guns before fleeing the scene. None of them has ever served jail time.

The Union of Young Italian Jews says the graffiti is “an insult to the Jewish community and at the same time a direct attack on Italy and the values on which our democracy is founded.”

“Those who commit such acts are not engaging in politics, nor expressing dissent,” the organization says in a statement on X. “They are fueling antisemitism: the same hatred that has already wounded Italy in the past and that is resurfacing with disturbing ease.”

L’Unione Giovani Ebrei d’Italia condanna con fermezza il vergognoso atto vandalico contro la Sinagoga di Monteverde. Le scritte comparse sui muri e l’imbrattamento della targa dedicata a Stefano Gaj Tachè sono un insulto alla comunità ebraica e allo stesso tempo un attacco… pic.twitter.com/P9giNRLEw0

— UGEI – Unione Giovani Ebrei d'Italia (@ugei_it) December 1, 2025

The Jewish Community of Rome also sharply condemns the attack, noting that Italian President Sergio Mattarella called to express solidarity with the community following the attack.