Swastikas sprayed on fence at Jewish family's Oswestry home
Police are investigating the painting of swastikas on a fence at the home of a Jewish man near Oswestry.
Yochanan Davitt found the two Nazi symbols and the word 'burn' on the fence outside his home this week.
Mr Davitt, who lives near Weston Rhyn, said he was saddened by the vandalism and is at a loss to think who might have been responsible.
He believes the action is connected to the fighting in the Middle East.
A ceasefire has now been agreed between Israel and the Palestinian militant Hamas after 11 days of fighting where at least 240 people have been killed. Most of those deaths have been Palestinians in the territory of Gaza.
The latest violence followed a month of rising tensions in Jerusalem.
Mr Davitt, 44, said he never thought that such an attack on him and his family would happen.
"I just class myself as British," he said.
"I noticed the damage on Monday morning as I went out to go to work. Two Nazi symbols and the word, burn, had been sprayed onto my fence. I did not think something like that would happen here."
I look at the troubles from both points of view.
"I myself was born in Palestine - and my mother is Jewish."
He has lived in the Oswestry area from the age of nine and said that, when he was younger, he used to hide outward appearances of being Jewish.
"I always wore a baseball cap to hide my kippah when I was a child. But, as I grew up I decided that it was part of who I am and so I discarded the baseball cap and let people see that I was Jewish.
"My nearest synagogue is in Manchester and it was difficult to travel last year."
He said he had become used to people starring at his appearance.
"I see people turning and looking and whispering to each other. But also I experience a lot of love here.
"I think the person or people who did the damage did it on impulse after seeing the news or social media. I would say to them, please stop and think before you act."
Mr Davitt lives on the Shropshire /Welsh border and the criminal damage is being investigated by North Wales police. Anyone with information should ring 101 and ask for North Wales Police.
