Pregnant Jewish woman and her husband attacked in Venice

A Jewish couple has reportedly been attacked in Venice by three men calling the husband a “dirty Jew,” according to Italian media.

The five-month pregnant woman and her husband, both Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic American tourists, were targeted in the antisemitic attack just after midnight on August 9th.

The Venice newspaper Il Gazzettino, quoting anonymous witnesses, said the tourists were taking a walk near the iconic Rialto Bridge in the city centre late Saturday night, when three men began harassing them, unprovoked.

The men threw water at the couple and spat on them, before one of the aggressors freed his large dog from the leash and set the dog on the husband. The dog tried to attack him, but bit into the mobile phone in his trouser pocket.

The couple then managed to flee and reached a kosher restaurant owned by a member of the local Chabad community, where they had eaten earlier. The couple did not report the attack to the authorities and left the city to fly back to America a few hours later, but according to Italian paper Il Gazzettino, other people from the Jewish community alerted the police, which opened an investigation.

Sion Yehiel Banin Rahamim, the owner of the Gam Gam restaurant, told the newspaper: “It matters little whether the victims are from Chabad or not. It’s unfortunate that such serious attacks happen in our city, which I have always considered, and still consider, tolerant and intelligent. The attack was in no way provoked, and passersby acted as if nothing had happened.”

Jewish News has contacted Chabad in Venice for further comment.