A Jewish father and his six-year-old son were assaulted at a service station near Milan on Sunday, in a disturbing escalation of antisemitic violence in Europe.
The incident occurred when the pair, both visibly wearing kippahs, were targeted by a group chanting “Free Palestine” and “murderers”. The Jewish father, identified only as Elie, a 52-year-old French citizen, captured the confrontation on video.
He told Il Corriere della Sera that the abuse began when a cashier shouted “Free Palestine” upon seeing their kippahs. As the two made their way to the restroom, other customers joined in. Verbal taunts escalated quickly, including shouts of “Go back to your country, murderers”, “This isn’t Gaza, this is Milan, this is Italy”, and “You’ll end up in hell sooner or later.”
Elie said several people then began pushing him, trying to drive him from the rest area. “I ended up on the ground, and they took advantage of that like animals, kicking me in the stomach,” he said. “Then one of them tried to hit me in the face, but I managed to block it.”
During the scuffle, Elie said he spotted his young son in the corner, held safely by a woman who stepped in to protect him. “I started shouting ‘Police! Police! Police!’ and only then did they stop and go back upstairs,” he added.
Investigation into attack
Police have launched an investigation into the attack, which has drawn widespread condemnation.
Noemi Di Segni, president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, said: “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 legitimisation of hatred and antisemitism has become viral. This is about everyone’s freedom being at risk.”
Elie described the attack as shocking but not entirely unexpected. “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,” he said.
Reports of antisemitic incidents have increased sharply in recent months across Europe, amid heightened tensions surrounding the Israel-Gaza conflict.
