Two Jewish 'stumbling stones' defaced in Rome

(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 1 - Two Jewish stumbling stones were defaced in Rome Tuesday night amid a wave of anti-Semitic episodes in Europe including Stars of David painted on Jewish buildings in Paris.
    Stumbling stones are ordinary Roman cobblestones bearing a brass plaque with the name and final destination of the Jews deported to Nazi death camps from the Italian capital during WWII.
    The incident took place not in the Ghetto but in Trastevere, and the stones commemorated the deportation of Michele Ezio Spizzichino and Amedeo Spagnoletto.
    It was a woman passing by in Via Dandolo who noticed that the two stones were completely blackened.
    The stones have now been cleaned and the police are investigating.
    Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri said "Rome condemns this ourtrage against the stumbling stones".
    Rome Chief Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni told La Stampa daily Wednesday that "for us Jews it is a fault to live and dare ti defend ourselves" amid Israel's war with Hamas following the Islamist militants surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7.
    Some 1,400 people were killed by Hamas, and nearly 9,000 have been killed in Gaza, almost half children, according to the Hams-run health ministry. (ANSA).