‘We’re fighting antisemitic graffiti with love’

The owner of a kosher restaurant which has twice been subjected to antisemitic graffiti said he wanted to “fight the hate with love”.

Nissen Lewis, co-owner of Benny’s Bistro in Prestwich, Greater Manchester, said he was “hurt” after finding antisemitic slurs written on the wall outside his business on Old Bury Road, first in late April and then at the weekend.

Mr Lewis, who reported both incidents to police, said members of the local community had made signs of support to add to the wall.

“People were turning up – young kids, not even customers – [to stick] something on the wall,” he said.

The restaurateur added: “It was very heart-warming to see people reacting in a positive way.

“Yes, someone’s done this. It’s not nice [but] our response is ‘we love the community, we love Jews – Jews, Christians and Muslims should live side by side’.”

Mr Lewis said he had been overwhelmed after details of the attacks were posted on social media.

He said he had even received a postcard a former Prestwich resident who now lives on Orkney.

He said: “I don’t who it is. She doesn’t know me. That’s beautiful… that really put a smile on my face.”

Greater Manchester Police said it was treating the attacks, as well as another report of antisemitic graffiti on nearby Kings Road, as “racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage”.

Police urged anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage from the area to contact them.

The force also said extra officers had been deployed to the area.

The 38-year-old businessman, who has spent most of his life in Prestwich, said he had “never experienced antisemitism like this” before.

“I’ve got a mosque across the road. I’ve got a synagogue literally out the other window. And there’s a church 100 yards behind me,” he said.

“We provide food to the community. I get non-Jews coming in here, I get Muslims coming in here.

“We want to fight hate with love.”

He urged police to take the attacks seriously, both to send a strong message that bigotry would not be tolerated, and also to avoid any potential escalation.

He said: “If you think: ‘Oh, I can get away with that, maybe I can then pick on a younger kid who can’t look after themselves?'”