Holocaust Monument in Ottawa Vandalized With Antisemitic Graffiti

Ottawa police are investigating after red graffiti was discovered Monday defacing the National Holocaust Monument, prompting strong condemnation from Jewish leaders and Canadian officials.

The monument, located near Lebreton Flats along the Kichi Zibi Mikan, was vandalized with splashes of red paint and the words “feed me” written in large capital letters.

Crews from the National Capital Commission, which oversees the site, began cleaning the paint off the concrete structure using pressure washers.

Israel’s ambassador to Canada, Iddo Moed, denounced the act in an interview with CBC, calling it antisemitic. “This is pure hate against Jews,” he said.

Workers covered parts of the monument with a tarp as cleanup efforts continued, obscuring the red paint while the removal was underway.

The identity of the vandal remains unknown, but the phrase “feed me” appeared to reference Gaza. The United Nations recently described the coastal enclave as the “hungriest place on Earth.”

UN spokesperson Jens Laerke told reporters in Geneva on Friday that Gaza is the only region globally where every resident faces the threat of famine.

“The aid operation that we have ready to roll is being put in an operational straitjacket that makes it one of the most obstructed aid operations, not only in the world today, but in recent history,” Laerke said.

He added that while the UN and its partners have tens of thousands of pallets of food and critical supplies waiting, only a “trickle” has been allowed into Gaza.

“The aid has been paid for by the world’s donors, who expect us on their behalf to deliver it. It is cleared for customs, it is approved and it’s ready to move,” Laerke continued.

Lawrence Greenspon, an Ottawa defense lawyer and co-chair of the National Holocaust Monument Committee, rejected the notion that Israel was to blame for Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.

“It’s high time that the leaders of the world, including our own prime minister, stop blaming Israel for the situation in Gaza. It is not a situation that was created by Israel, nor is it one that is being continued by Israel,” he said, adding that Hamas bears responsibility for diverting aid.

‘Disgusting and cowardly’

Local MP Yasir Naqvi, who represents Ottawa Centre, described the defacement as “a disgraceful, antisemitic act of vandalism.”

In a statement on social media, Naqvi wrote: “The National Holocaust Monument honours the memory of six million Jews and all victims of Nazi atrocities. Defacing it is not protest — it is hate, and I condemn it.”

Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman also weighed in, calling the incident a “disgusting and cowardly act.”

“Parliament is just steps away — that’s where dissent belongs. Defacing sacred ground in honour of the millions of victims of the Holocaust in the middle of the night with spray paint isn’t protest, it’s vandalism. Someone this pathetic deserves to be identified and held accountable,” she posted online.

Nicole Amiel, media director for the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), labeled the graffiti vile and antisemitic.

“Since October 7, Canada’s Jewish community has been under siege — and too often, we’re told this isn’t about Jews, it’s about Israel. But this? This doesn’t feel like it’s about Israel,” she wrote, referencing Hamas’s 2023 attack on southern Israel.

In a statement, the UJA Federation of Canada condemned the act.

“This was not a protest — it was a hate crime, and it has no place in Canada,” the group stated.

They emphasized that the monument commemorates the six million Jews and others killed during the Holocaust and serves as a national reminder of the atrocities and the resilience of survivors who helped build Canadian society.

“Vandalizing this monument is a cowardly and disgraceful act of antisemitism.”