Jewish groups condemn swastika graffiti on Maimonides statue in Cordoba

Spanish police investigating incident, denounced as attack on ‘the values of knowledge, freedom, and coexistence’ represented by legacy of 12th-century Jewish philosopher

A statue of the medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides was vandalized in Cordoba, Spain, over the weekend, drawing condemnations from Jewish organizations.

The graffiti was discovered Saturday on the base of the bronze statue in Tiberiades Plaza, in the heart of the city’s historic Jewish Quarter.

Municipal workers later covered the vandalism with a temporary sign while a specialized team worked to remove the paint.

Spain’s National Police is investigating the incident.

The Jewish Community of Barcelona called the vandalism “an attack on our shared history, on the Golden Age, on our culture, on the values of knowledge, freedom, and coexistence that his legacy represents.”

The Federation of Spanish Jewish Communities expressed its “total repudiation.”

The attack was “a stark reminder that antisemitism continues to target not only Jewish people, but also Jewish history, memory and culture,” the European Jewish Congress said on X.

The bronze statue, sculpted by Amadeo Ruiz Olmos in 1964, commemorates the 760th anniversary of the death of Maimonides, known as the Rambam in Hebrew.

The 12th-century Jewish philosopher, astronomer, and physician is best remembered for his monumental legal code, the Mishneh Torah, and philosophical treatise, The Guide for the Perplexed, both of which profoundly shaped both Jewish law and Western thought.

Spain is home to about 70,000 Jews today, according to the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain.

A report from the Spanish government found that antisemitic offenses in the country rose 86 percent last year, with Jews targeted in 69 hate crimes and incidents in 2025.