Two separate anti-Semitic attacks recorded in just a few days. In Montenegro, 15 people chased two Israelis, while in Rome, a French tourist wearing a kippah was attacked twice in 24 hours.
Two Israeli tourists went through a terrifying experience in Montenegro when a group of about fifteen people chased them through the streets after discovering their origin. The incident occurred at night, and the entire event, according to the victims, seemed like a premeditated ambush. At the same time, news from Rome reports a double attack on a French tourist of Jewish faith, indicating a worrying wave of anti-Semitism across Europe.
The young Israelis, Yoav and Dor, visited a casino during their stay in Montenegro. A stranger approached them and struck up a conversation. After they told him they were from Israel, the situation changed dramatically. "The man wouldn't leave us alone, started harassing us, and offered to take us to a 'much better casino,'" Yoav told the Israeli media outlet N12, as reported by Klix.ba.
Although the man claimed to be on a family vacation, the two tourists soon noticed that he knew all the local patrons at the surrounding tables. "That's when we started to suspect and realized something was wrong," Yoav added. They tried to distance themselves and leave the casino, but a group was already waiting outside.
"In every way, it seemed like a premeditated ambush. They were waiting for us, spotted us, and started following us. A chase through the alleys and streets began," Yoav described the moments of terror. The two split up in an attempt to escape. Yoav found a hiding spot in a private garden, where he could hear his pursuers searching for him.
"I heard them right above me, searching house by house and shouting, 'Jews, Jews!'," he recounted. He managed to slip unnoticed into an outdoor kitchen of another house and called his parents. Meanwhile, his friend Dor ran along the main road, but the group caught up with him and began kicking him. "Miraculously, with the last ounce of strength, he managed to escape and get away until he reached the hotel. I hid outside for two and a half hours," Yoav said.
After Yoav contacted his parents, they immediately got in touch with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The response was swift and effective. "They were incredible, they took care of the kids and helped them as soon as we learned of the incident," Yoav's mother told N12.
The director of the department for Israelis abroad and the Israeli consulate in Serbia, which is responsible for Montenegro, notified the local police. "The police monitored the children and stayed in contact with us throughout the entire incident, which occurred at night, as well as after it," the mother added. Montenegrin authorities are currently conducting an investigation.
Just a day before these events were reported, information emerged from Rome about another anti-Semitic attack. A French tourist (22) wearing a kippah was attacked twice within 24 hours in the city center. The first incident occurred on August 7 at around 8 p.m. in Piazza Cairoli, where one of the four attackers sprayed pepper spray into his eyes.
The following evening, August 8 at 8:20 p.m., the same group attacked him again at Largo di Torre Argentina. They surrounded him and beat him with fists and feet while shouting "Free Palestine." The victim filed a report with the Carabinieri at Piazza Farnese, who have so far identified and reported a 31-year-old Algerian citizen with no fixed residence and prior convictions. He is charged with battery, propaganda, and incitement to commit a crime based on racial, ethnic, and religious discrimination. The search for the other three is ongoing.
Victor Fadlun, president of the Jewish Community of Rome, strongly condemned the attacks. "Unfortunately, the manhunt has also arrived on the streets of Rome, we hope, as Italians, not to witness a growing indifference from public opinion," he told La Repubblica, warning that the manhunt has reached the Italian capital and expressing hope that the Italian public will not remain indifferent.
