A 50-year-old Orthodox Jewish man was stabbed and was left critically wounded in Zurich’s Selnau area in Switzerland, media reports said. The incident occurred shortly after the conclusion of Shabbat, a holy day of rest and spiritual rejuvenation observed by Jewish people every week from Friday evening to Saturday evening.
Zurich city police reportedly disclosed that a 15-year-old assailant was responsible for the attack which took place Saturday (Mar 2) evening. He has since been apprehended. An investigation into the matter has been initiated by the authorities.
Eyewitnesses recounted the chilling moment when the assailant was arrested, with one noting that “the perpetrator laughed when he was arrested.” Initial reports also suggested that during the assault, the attacker screamed “death to the Jews” or “death to Israel.”
In the wake of this alarming incident, the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG) announced that security measures within the Jewish community are under review. Despite assurances that there is no immediate threat, members of the Jewish community are urged to exercise caution.
“The SIG is deeply shocked that a community member fell victim to such an attack. Physical attacks on Jewish people in Switzerland are very rare. The Jewish community has been spared from such life-threatening attacks for the past two decades. However, there has been a significant increase in such physical attacks since October 7th,” the federation said adding, “The SIG’s thoughts are with the victim and his relatives. We pray for a full and speedy recovery.”
Last month, Pope Francis rebuked the “terrible increase in attacks against Jews around the world” and flagged concerns over the increase in anti-Semitism ever since the Israel-Hamas war started in Gaza on the fateful day of October 7.
“We, Catholics, are very concerned about the terrible increase in attacks against Jews around the world,” the pope wrote.
Moreover, a study in 2016 conducted by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights revealed that events in the Middle East can provoke antisemitic sentiments within the EU. When reports of the fatal attack on Israel circulated, it triggered incidents of individuals rejoicing over the killings in certain European countries, such as Sweden and the UK.
(With inputs from agencies)
