A French Jewish father was assaulted in front of his six-year-old son by an antisemitic mob.
By Rachel Avraham
According to a recent report published by the Combat Antisemitism Movement, “A disturbing antisemitic attack on a French Jewish man and his 6-year-old son near Milan, Italy, on Sunday has sparked national outrage in Italy and further underscored the dangerous reality facing Jews across Europe. The assault occurred at a gas station on the outskirts of Milan, where the father and child — both visibly Jewish and wearing kippot — were harassed by a group of pro-Palestinian agitators. The group surrounded the pair while shouting threats like “Go home, killers,” “Bastard, I’m going to kill you,” and “Free Palestine,” in a chilling display of hatred.”
While yelling antisemitic abuse at the French Jewish father and son, the crowd began to push the father, who in the end fell to the ground. From there, he was physically assaulted by the antisemitic mob.
‘‘I ended up on the ground, and they took advantage of that like animals, kicking me in the stomach,’’ Elie, who is the father that was attacked, told the Il Corriere della Sera newspaper. ‘‘Then one of them tried to pull me up and aimed a blow at my face, but I managed to block it. Amid the chaos of the scuffle, I caught a glimpse of my son, who – thankfully – a woman had taken aside and was holding safely in a corner. I started shouting ‘Police! Police! Police!’ and only then did they stop and go back upstairs.”
Commenting on the incident, Noemi Di Segni, the president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, told the Guardian: “If simply being visibly Jewish is enough to provoke such a violent attack – if a family cannot safely move through public spaces in this country – then the legitimization of hatred and antisemitism has become viral. This is about everyone’s freedom being at risk. Holding on to respect and dignity for every person is the only path that protects us all.”
Elie told Il Corriere that ‘‘given the climate of hatred that has developed across Europe toward the Jewish community, I expected it. But I never thought it would happen to me, especially not in Italy, which I had always considered a tolerant country, a place where one could feel safe.”
Davide Romano — director of the Jewish Brigade Museum in Milan — called for urgent institutional action. “This assault targeting a French family solely because they are Jewish is yet another painful reminder of how antisemitism is gaining ground in our country,” he said. Romano emphasized that Milan must act decisively to protect its international reputation and Jewish residents alike.
Milan City Council member Daniele Nahum voiced concern over the normalization of antisemitic violence. “Has attacking Jewish citizens truly become ‘normal’ in the wake of events in Gaza?” she asked, urging political leaders to confront antisemitism masked as political expression. Piero Fassino, a member of Italy’s Parliament from the Partito Democratico, acknowledged that antisemitism remained a persistent issue in Italian society and echoed calls for a firm response.
According to the Combat Antisemitism Movement, “Italian authorities are reviewing surveillance footage from the gas station as part of their investigation, with the aim of identifying and prosecuting those responsible. The attack is the latest in a wave of antisemitic violence across Europe since October 7th, where Jews have increasingly found themselves targets for verbal abuse, threats, and physical assault — simply for being Jewish.”
“In a separate and deeply disturbing incident, a store in Milan posted a sign explicitly banning Jews — written in Hebrew, a calculated move aimed at Israeli visitors,” the Combat Antisemitism Movement noted. “Alarming displays like this are becoming increasingly common across Europe, from Portugal to Greece and countless other countries.”
“These are not isolated outbursts — they reflect a broader and dangerous trend in which antisemitism is being normalized and broadcast with brazen confidence,” the Combat Antisemitism Movement concluded. “This escalation demands a swift and unequivocal response from political leaders and civil society — before history repeats itself and before speech turns into bloodshed.”
Photo from ynetnews1: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/q9BYgK-ok5A
