French police on duty. Photo: Reuters / Elyxandro Cegarra.

A memorial to a former chief rabbi of France was the latest target on Monday of a campaign of antisemitic vandalism that has plagued the eastern French city of Mulhouse in recent weeks.

An antisemitic slogan was discovered on the memorial to the late Rabbi Jacob Kaplan, who served as chief rabbi of France from 1955 until 1980.

The vandalism in Mulhouse — a city that lies close to the border with Germany and Switzerland — was initially noted at the beginning of November, when antisemitic slogans were seen on the Bollwerk, a local tourist attraction.

These were quickly removed by local authorities, but a fresh round of antisemitic slogans in the city was reported during last weekend. A police investigation is now underway.

The International League against Racism and Antisemitism (Licra)  — a leading NGO in France — announced that it had referred the matter to the public prosecutor’s office.

“We cannot accept that such acts should be allowed to multiply,” Rodolphe Cahn — a lawyer representing Licra — told news website Franceinfo.

Rémy With — president of the Haut-Rhin Departmental Council, where Mulhouse is located — strongly condemned the antisemitic vandalism.

“I am deeply shocked by these inscriptions which have been discovered in Mulhouse in recent days,” he stated. “Along with all of my colleagues on the Departmental Council, I want to assure the Jewish Consistory of the Haut-Rhin and the Jewish community of Mulhouse of my full support.”