Dog set on Jewish couple in Venice as assailants shout “Free Palestine”
The second such incident in the city to take place in the last two months - the attackers now face deportation
The mayor of Venice has condemned an alleged attack on American Orthodox Jews who said they were targeted by a group that shouted “free Palestine” and then proceeded to slap them, while setting an unmuzzled rottweiler on them.
The American couple, who were reportedly wearing traditional Orthodox clothing, were walking through Venice on Sunday night when the incident took place, according to Italian news agency AGI.
Three of the assailants, who were believed to be of North African origin, were apprehended, with two receiving expulsion orders and a third being deported, according to AGI.
“Venice is and must continue to be an open, welcoming, and safe city, where mutual respect forms the foundation of civil coexistence. The aggression suffered by two American citizens of Jewish faith is a serious and unacceptable act, which I condemn with the utmost firmness,” Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said in a post on X.
The incident also drew condemnation from the Jewish Community of Venice. The city is home to one of the oldest Jewish ghettos in Europe, and currently has a Jewish population of around 450.
“Reiterating its condemnation of this vile and ignoble act, the Jewish community emphasizes that episodes like these certainly raise questions about Venice’s role as a welcoming city, while a climate of intolerance is emerging that today affects the entire Venetian community,” the statement read.
The incident follows another report of a Jewish couple being attacked in Venice last month.
The man and his pregnant wife were walking near the city centre when three men began harassing them, calling the husband a “dirty Jew” and throwing water and spitting on them. One of the assailants later set his dog on the couple, but it bit into a cell phone in the man’s pocket, according to Venice newspaper Il Gazzettino.
The Venice incidents add to a spate of alleged antisemitic attacks across Europe in recent months, many but not all apparently motivated by opposition to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Among the many to generate headlines:
- An Israeli cellist said he was asked to leave a restaurant in Austria after he was overheard speaking Hebrew.
- Dozens of French Jewish summer campers were removed from a plane in Spain for allegedly engaging in “highly disruptive behavior,” which they said involved singing in Hebrew. (Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente referred to the children as “Israeli brats” on X in a post he later deleted.)
- Near Milan in July, a Jewish father traveling with his 6-year-old son was told to “go back to your country, murderers” before being pushed to the floor and repeatedly kicked, according to video of the incident. It was unclear what precipitated the confrontation. “The antisemitic situation is becoming unmanageable,” a local politician said at the time.
- The vehicles of Orthodox Jewish tourists from England were spray-painted with “Free Palestine” graffiti at a rest stop in the Alps.
In some alleged incidents, the circumstances of the conflicts were not clear. Still, the dizzying pace of reports of harassment and attacks has reportedly sparked some Israelis to reconsider their travel plans.
A recent study by the Israel Democracy Institute found that three quarters of Jewish Israelis and nearly two thirds of Arab Israelis who had plans to travel said their plans had been affected by reports of rising antisemitism and attacks on Israelis abroad. The rate was even higher for religiously observant Jews — those more likely to wear a kippah or otherwise be identifiable as Jews.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
