A Belgian-Israeli man from Rishon LeZion sent a letter to Belgium that was later sent back with a swastika and the phrase "J F***" written on it, the European Jewish Press reported on Sunday.
According to the report, the letter was mailed back to the return address because the swastika and the writing had rendered the destination address illegible.
The man who sent the letter reported the incident, telling the Belgian newspaper La Dernière Heure that he had informed the Israeli embassy in Belgium, multiple Jewish organizations and the Israel Post Office about the matter. The Jewish Press added that he urged the post office to file a complaint against the Belgian postal company that processed the letter.
The postal service said it was conducting an investigation into the incident but had limited resources to do so. "It goes without saying that we will do everything possible to shed light on this matter and that we are ready to take the appropriate measures to defend the values that we hold dear and that make up our identity," the company’s spokeswoman said, according to the Press, adding, that it "strongly condemn[s]" this behavior.
The report was met with outrage.
Israeli ambassador to Belgium Emmanuel Nahshon called the incident "a serious matter," adding, "I deplore this umpteenth expression of anti-Semitic hatred," according to the Press.
The organization StopAntisemitism.org said it was "[o]utrageous" in a tweet on Monday.
Outrageous - police are now investigating registered mail that was sent from Israel to Belgium, held for approximately 3 months, then sent back to the Israeli man in Rishon LeZion (outside Tel Aviv) with a swastika drawn on it and “J F*ck”. pic.twitter.com/is18K4WjYL
— StopAntisemitism.org (@StopAntisemites) January 10, 2022