Austrian-Turkish man allegedly assaults three Jewish men in Vienna
Incident occurred outside a kosher restaurant, with police looking into possibility of it being an anti-Semitic attack
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
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.
