Assaulted or harassed Several anti-Semitic attacks in Zurich at the weekend

There have been several anti-Semitic incidents in Zurich. "Five different incidents were reported to us," said Jonathan Kreutner, Secretary General of the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities.

Keystone-SDA

10.12.2024, 20:06

10.12.2024, 20:30

SDA

There were several anti-Semitic incidents in Zurich last weekend. Jewish people were physically attacked or verbally harassed.

"Five different incidents were reported to us", said Jonathan Kreutner, Secretary General of the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG), on Tuesday at the request of Keystone-SDA. He was confirming a report by the "20 Minuten" online portal.

Incidents caused uncertainty

Some of the people were physically assaulted, others were verbally harassed. "In at least one case, there was also a case of anti-Jewish abuse", Kreutner continued. The attacks all took place in Zurich-Wiedikon at the weekend. As far as is known, most of the attacks were reported to the police.

"Such an accumulation of physical attacks on Jewish people, where we have to assume, at least in part, that they only took place because the people were Jewish, is worrying and unusual," said Kreutner in the "20 Minuten" report. Word of the incidents had spread in the Jewish community and caused uncertainty. Civil society is called upon to take measures to prevent this from happening.

Incidents are becoming more frequent

The number of antisemitic incidents in German-speaking and Italian-speaking Switzerland rose in 2023. A total of 1130 antisemitic incidents were reported or observed, compared to 910 in the previous year, as reported by SIG and the Foundation against Racism and Antisemitism (GRA) in the spring. According to the latest anti-Semitism report, incidents in Germany increased particularly after the terrorist attacks on October 7.

The figures for 2024 will be published by the SIG in the spring.