A Jewish couple were beaten up by ten migrants who chanted ‘Free Palestine‘ before setting a rottweiler on them during an anti-Semitic attack in Venice.
North African men approached the American and Israeli pair shortly before midnight as they strolled down Strada Nuova, one of the main shopping streets near the Rialto Bridge.
The terrified due, who were wearing Orthodox clothing, tried to run away but were chased and surrounded by the group, who chanted ‘Free Palestine’.
One then set his unmuzzled rottweiler on the tourists, while another slapped the man, according to Italian news agency AGI.
A glass bottle was also thrown during the assault, shattering and injuring the woman’s ankle.
The attack was eventually stopped by officers from the Guardia di Finanza, Italy‘s heavily-armed financial crime unit, who intervened after they saw what was happening.
A 31-year-old Tunisian man, who had slapped the tourist, was arrested, alongside two others. He was charged with assault and banned from entering the city of Venice for two years.
A Jewish couple were reportedly beaten up by ten migrants who chanted ‘Free Palestine ‘ before setting a rottweiler on them during an anti-Semitic attack in Venice. Pictured: A stock image of Rialto bridge in Venice, near to where the attack happened
North African men approached the American and Israeli pair shortly before midnight on Strada Nuova, one of the main shopping streets near the Rialto Bridge in the city. Pictured: A stock image of Strada Nuova
Two others from the group were found to be living in Italy illegally, and have since been transferred to a detention centre where they are awaiting deportation.
The Jewish Community of Venice condemned the attack as a ‘cowardly and despicable act,’ and said that it called into question Venice’s tradition as a welcoming city.
Venice is widely considered the oldest Jewish ghetto in Europe and currently has a Jewish population of around 450.
Luigi Brugnaro, mayor of the city, said: ‘Venice is and must continue to be an open, welcoming and safe city, where mutual respect is the foundation of civil coexistence.
‘The attack is a serious and unacceptable act, which I condemn in the strongest terms.
‘We firmly say “no” to any resurgence of antisemitism, as well as to Islamophobia. Venice will never tolerate any form of hatred of discrimination.’
The horrific attack comes just a month after another Jewish American couple were assaulted by the Rialto Bridge.
Three men threw water at the couple before spitting on them, setting a dog on them, and hurling anti-Semitic insults.
Anti-Semitic attacks have risen sharply in Europe amid Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.
In August, vandals sprayed ‘Free Palestine’ on British Jews’ cars parked in the French Alps.
The incident occurred in the village of Châtel in the northern part of the French Alps, near the Swiss border.
Some nine vehicles belonging to a group of strictly Orthodox Jews, some of whom were from Stamford Hill in London, were reportedly vandalised with the spray paint.
The group was on holiday in the picturesque Haute-Savoie region when their vehicles were defaced overnight.
One Jewish man who had his car defaced was from Vienna. He told the Israeli outlet: ‘It’s a horrifying feeling, and the police are not taking the case seriously.’
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .