“Kill all Jews” daubing in NZ

The New Zealand Jewish Council has condemned antisemitic graffiti discovered under a Nelson footbridge, warning that such “kill all Jews” messages are a direct incitement to violence and have no place in a democratic society.

The Council said most New Zealanders would be appalled by the slogan, but cautioned that some would attempt to justify or minimise it by linking it to overseas events or by casting doubt on who was responsible.

“It is a fundamental principle of a cohesive and democratic society that no ethnic, national, or religious group should be held collectively responsible for the actions, perceived or real, of others,” the council said, stressing that this standard must apply equally to all communities, including Muslims, Indians and Jews. “It is concerning that this principle increasingly appears to require restating when it comes to Jewish New Zealanders,” it added.

Council spokesperson Juliet Moses said the language used in the graffiti was an unmistakable call to harm. “Language like this is not abstract. It is a direct call for violence,” she said. “When such rhetoric is normalised, excused, or ignored, it creates an environment in which Jewish people feel unsafe and are increasingly targeted.”

The Council noted a rise in antisemitic rhetoric and incidents both in New Zealand and abroad, warning that expressions once widely condemned are now surfacing in mainstream discourse without consequence. Its latest figures recorded 143 antisemitic incidents in New Zealand in 2025 – the highest annual total – including assaults, threats, damage to Jewish sites and harassment of individuals in their homes.

The Nelson incident comes in the same week as reports of threatening graffiti targeting the Indian community in Auckland, with the Council expressing solidarity with Indian New Zealanders and urging a united stand against all forms of hatred. “New Zealanders have a shared responsibility to reject hatred in all its forms,” Moses said. “We must be clear that there is no place in our society for messages that dehumanise or call for harm against any community.”