Sign honoring Amos Oz vandalized near his home in Arad; mayor: 'Shameful act'

Unknown individuals vandalized a tourist sign commemorating author Amos Oz, placed near his home in Arad, covering it with paint. City workers cleaned the sign and restored it to its proper condition, and the city's security officer intends to file a complaint with the police. The Oz family expressed sadness over the erasure, and Mayor Yair Maayan called the act 'shameful and vile'.

Unknown individuals vandalized a tourist sign commemorating author Amos Oz, which was placed near his home at 17 Nof Street in Arad. The sign, which includes Oz's photo and information about his life and work in the city, was covered with paint. City workers cleaned it and restored it to its proper condition, and the city's security officer intends to file a complaint with the police. Fania Oz-Salzberger, Oz's daughter, wrote on X that someone erased the sign that the city had placed next to the house where her parents lived for nearly 30 years, and that many of his books were written in the study in the basement of the house. His family stated that it is sad to see his name erased from the sign, in a city and country he loved so much, and they suspect it was political rivals rather than disappointed readers. They added that the Israeli public is becoming increasingly aware of the sharp rise in illiberalism. The Arad municipality stated that it views the vandalism with severity, and that it is damage to public property and an improper attempt to harm the public space. Mayor Yair Maayan called the vandalism 'a shameful and vile act of corrupt criminals' and promised they will not tolerate attempts to harm the public space. Oz moved to Arad in 1985, lived in the city for nearly 30 years, and wrote a significant portion of his books there. He was a recipient of the Israel Prize for Literature in 1998 and passed away in 2018.