A particularly disturbing antisemitic incident occurred in Italy when Italians broke out in shouts of “murderers” and “Free Palestine” at a Chabad Rabbi and his six-year-old son simply because they were wearing yarmulkes and later physically attacked the father in front of his son.

The French Chabad Rabbi and his son had stopped at a rest stop near the Milan airport to refuel and then went inside to use the restroom. When the Italians noticed the father and son wearing yarmulkes and tzitzis, they began screaming at the pair, visibly frightening the young boy.

The father filmed the verbal assault and yelled back, Am Yisrael Chai. He then went downstairs with his son to use the bathroom. When they came out of the bathroom, there was a crowd of about 15 to 20 people waiting outside who demanded that he delete the video he took. When he refused, he was knocked to the floor and beaten, and his glasses were broken. According to a Kan News report, the four men that physically assaulted him were of Arab origin.

Baruch Hashem, a kind person took the six-year-old son to the side to protect him while the father was being assaulted. Someone called the police, who arrived ten minutes later. An investigation has been opened into the incident. However, the victim’s son-in-law reported that the Italian police had taken no steps to locate the perpetrators and that the convenience station stated that there were no cameras in the restroom area.

The Rabbi already returned to France with his son, where he will undergo a medical examination.

A video of the incident circulated online and sparked outrage.

Among the commenters was Yossi Spitzy, a Jewish-French public relations activist, who wrote, “A Jewish man stops at a gas station in Italy—and is harassed with shouts of ‘Free Palestine’ just because they saw his son with a kippah. He is French; he has no connection to Israel. Where have we reached? Don’t you think this is going too far? Do you want to say ‘Never Again’ again in ten years—or will you choose to respond now against this hatred? It’s becoming unbearable.”

The video was also published on the popular “Jewish Voice” page in France, where it sparked a lively discussion. Among the reactions was that of a user named Dido, who wrote, “It is time to severely punish these acts that are increasing every day. I am not Jewish, but I know the history: they start with registration, stick on a star, expel… we know the sad continuation. My parents taught me this when I was very young.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)