Austrian-Turkish man allegedly assaults three Jewish men in Vienna

An Austrian man of Turkish descent allegedly assaulted three Jewish men in a part of Vienna where many Jews live and work.

The incident occurred shortly before noon on Thursday, on Tabor Street in front of a kosher restaurant. Police are looking into the possibility that the attack was anti-Semitic, the Oe24 news site reported.

The perpetrator, a 24-year-old unemployed Austrian with Turkish roots, was identified only as Burkay S. He allegedly attacked the men, all of whom were wearing a kippah – with one having Hebrew inscriptions on his clothes – in front of a Jewish restaurant.

The suspect was arrested at a nearby subway station. None of the victims suffered serious injuries. Before assaulting the Jewish men, he also hit a woman on the street.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Twitter that “a possible antisemitic background is currently being examined by the competent authorities.” He thanked police for apprehending the suspect.

Austria had more than 500 anti-Semitic incidents in 2017, nearly double the total from three years earlier.

Wir tun als #Bundesregierung jedenfalls alles dafür, damit jüdisches Leben in #Österreich in Sicherheit möglich ist und kämpfen entschieden gegen jede Form von #Antisemitismus. 2/3

— Sebastian Kurz (@sebastiankurz) July 19, 2018