Jewish Tourist, 6-Year-Old Son Attacked by Mob in Italy

Authorities are investigating the incident as a hate crime.

A 52-year-old French tourist was attacked by a mob near Milan, Italy, on Sunday while accompanied by his 6-year-old son. The man and his son were wearing kippahs (Jewish religious head coverings) when the mob at a service station began hurling insults and chanting “Free Palestine.” Later, the mob pushed the father and kicked him, stopping only when he called the police. Authorities are investigating the incident as a hate crime.

The man had dropped off his daughter and son-in-law in Milan and was en route to Paris when he was attacked. The incident began when a service-station cashier yelled, “Free Palestine,” and others shouted, “Go back to your country, murderers,” and “You’ll end up in hell sooner or later.” The father recorded a video of the shouting, and many more people joined in. He and his son went to the bathroom, but at least three people pushed him and tried to force him out. He fell to the ground, and someone kicked him in the stomach; he dodged another blow to his face. His son was away from the scuffle, held safely by a woman.

The tourist told a newspaper that the crowd let him go only after he shouted “Police, police.” Officers arrived in 10 minutes.

The unidentified victim acknowledged the increase in anti-Jewish hatred in Europe. “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,” he said. The attack was condemned by city councilor Daniele Nahum, who said, “The antisemitic situation is becoming unmanageable.”

According to the Antisemitism Observatory in Milan, antisemitic incidents in Italy doubled from 454 in 2023 to 877 in 2024. Elsewhere in Europe, attacks on Jews also increased, climbing 185% in France and 82% in the U.K. American Jews have reported antisemitic attacks as well: 33% said they were personally targeted at least once last year, according to a report released in 2025. More than half altered their behavior in 2024 out of fear, the report found.

This comes at a time when Israel is facing international condemnation over the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 60,000 people. As countries and human rights organizations demand a cease-fire and immediate aid to Gazans, protests have erupted around the world.

On July 22, a cruise liner with Israeli tourists was turned away from Syros, a Greek island, after people protested with Palestinian flags and Stop the Genocide banners. Around 1,600 people were on board and could not disembark. Instead, they faced protesters with patriotic slogans. A statement by the protesters explained, “As residents of Syros but more so as human beings, we are taking action that we hope will contribute to stopping this destruction from the genocidal war that is taking place in our neighborhood.”