Swastika symbol found carved in State Department elevator

In an elevator at the State Department building on Monday, a swastika was found carved, condemning which Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the hateful carving is a reminder that anti-Semitism is still alive, according to US media reports.   

“As this painfully reminds us, anti-Semitism isn’t a relic of the past,” Blinken wrote in a memo to all State Department employees, according to CNN reports. 

“It’s still a force in the world, including close to home. And it’s abhorrent. It has no place in the United States, at the State Department or anywhere else. And we must be relentless in standing up and rejecting it,” he said.

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The swastika symbol while is a religious symbol in Indian religions, in the western world it became synonymous with anti-Semitism after the Nazis used it as a centrepiece on their flag representing the Aryan race. 

Meanwhile, Blinken said that the swastika has been removed from the elevator and further added that the incident will be investigated by Diplomatic Security, the federal law enforcement branch of the State Department.

“We also know from our own history and from the histories of other nations that anti-Semitism often goes hand in hand with racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia and other hatreds. None of these ideologies should have a home in our workplace or our nation,” Blinken said, according to CNN inputs.

Meanwhile, who himself was raised in Jewish traditions sent out a message directly addressing the Jewish employees at the department, reported US media.

In his heartfelt message, he let his Jewish colleagues how grateful the department is for their service and how proud they are of them. But his message was not only limited to his colleagues. “And that goes for our entire diverse and dedicated team in Washington and around the world. I know I can speak for the Deputy Secretaries and senior leaders across the Department when I say that it’s an honor to serve alongside you on behalf of the American people,” he wrote.

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The defacement at the State Department comes as anti-Semitic attacks in the US have been steadily rising in recent years and have included deadly attacks on synagogues.

The State Department defacement comes as anti-Semitic attacks in the United States have steadily increased in recent years, including deadly attacks on synagogues. Assault, harassment and vandalism against Jews are at near-historic levels, according to the Anti-Defamation League, a body monitoring and tracking anti-Semitism in the United States.