JNS
Multiple antisemitic incidents in four countries deepen concerns about rising hate since the Gaza war began.
A Jewish family was allegedly kicked out of a taxi in Austria last week and called “murderers” by the driver, who reportedly assaulted one of the passengers.
In France, “Free Palestine” graffiti was sprayed on Jewish-owned cars on Wednesday.
In the Netherlands, Israelis were filmed at a vacation park and threatened online last week. And in Italy, a hotel employee demanded that an Israeli guest cancel her booking if she supported her government’s actions.
The incidents, all reported in local media, were part of a wave of violence and hate speech directed at Jews and Israelis in Europe since the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
In the incident in Vienna, an Uber driver reportedly assaulted the family’s father en route to a birthday party upon learning that the family was originally from Israel. This happened in front of the man’s wife, their two children aged 10 and 13 and another 75-year-old relative, according to the Jewish Community in Vienna.
The driver forced the family out on the side of the road, telling them he didn’t want “child murderers” in his vehicle. He stayed near the family to shout insults at them before finally assaulting the man, according to the incident report by the Jewish Community’s
Antisemitism Reporting Center. It has been quoted in several mainstream Austrian media outlets.
The incidents in France happened in Châtel, an Alpine town near the border with Switzerland. Many Jewish families vacation there during the summer. Nine cars belonging to Jewish vacationers were spray-painted with the words “Free Palestine” on Wednesday morning, according to a report by CNEWS.
Also on Wednesday, the Center Parcs de Eemhof vacation park in Zeewolde, a town situated about 30 miles east of Amsterdam, acknowledged that Israelis staying there had secretly been filmed by anti-Israel activists who published the videos online with calls to target the Israelis and their whereabouts.
A spokesperson for the park told the Omroep Flevoland broadcaster that management was “shocked” by the videos, which have circulated on the social media accounts of at least five anti-Israel groups, including the Amsterdam branch of Students for Justice in Palestine, according to the report.
Separately, an employee of a hotel in Sicily messaged a prospective guest from Israel, urging her to cancel her reservation if she supports Israel’s actions against Hamas in Gaza.
“We are deeply concerned about what’s happening in Gaza. Therefore, if you think your country’s government is acting well, please cancel your reservation and book another place. Instead, if you, too, are shaken by the events of the last two years, we will be happy to welcome you for a pleasant stay,” read the message sent to Yulia Sharitz, according to a Wednesday report on Israel’s Channel 12.
Sharitz canceled her reservation without replying, seeking to avoid an escalation ahead of her trip to the Italian island, where she, her husband and another couple had booked rooms at additional hotels. Sharitz complained to Booking.com about the establishment, P43 Sicilian Suites.
Shai Glick, CEO of the right-wing B’Tsalmo human rights group in Israel, has asked Booking.com to remove P43 Sicilian Suites.
Italy, the Netherlands and Austria are among the countries in Europe and beyond that have seen significant increases in the prevalence of antisemitic incidents following Oct.
In Italy, the local Jewish community documented 877 incidents—almost double the 454 cases in 2023. In the Netherlands, 421 incidents were documented last year—a record high, and an 11 percent increase over 2023.
In Austria, the Jewish community recorded 1,520 incidents—up 32.5 percent from 1,147 in 2023. In France, the number of incidents dropped slightly but remained relatively high with 1,570 cases, according to the SPCJ watchdog and security group, compared to 1,676 in 2023.
