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Violent incidents in reaction to the Israel–Hamas war

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Since 7 October 2023, numerous violent incidents prompted by the Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing Israel–Hamas war have been reported worldwide. They have accompanied a sharp increase in global antisemitism and Islamophobia, as well as anti-Israeli sentiment and anti-Palestinian sentiment or broader anti-Arab sentiment.[1] Other people and groups have also been targeted, such as the Sikhs,[2] who are commonly mistaken to be Muslims by their attackers.[3][a]

Attacks against Jews and Israelis

United States

On 25 October, a man broke into a Jewish family's home in Los Angeles yelling "Free Palestine" and "Kill Jews".[4]

On 3 November, CNN reported on the arrest of 20 year-old Jordanian national for plotting a terrorist attack against the Jewish community in Houston, Texas.[5]

Paul Kessler, a 69-year-old Jewish man, was fatally injured in an dispute between pro-Israel and pro-Palestine demonstrators on November 5 in Westlake Village, Los Angeles County, California. Initial reports indicated that he fell and hit his head on the ground, and may have been hit by a megaphone used by a pro-Palestine demonstrator, although police did not initially confirm that. As of November 7, a suspect was detained and later released.[6][7]

Europe

On 18 October two Molotov cocktails were thrown at a synagogue in the Mitte neighborhood of central Berlin. One person was arrested.[8] On 21 October an explosive device was detonated near the Israeli embassy in Cyprus, four men of Syrian origin were detained.[9]

On 4 November, a Jewish woman was stabbed in Lyon, France and a swastika was graffitied on her home.[10]

On 11 December, a 16-year-old was arrested by Austrian police for planning to attack a synagogue in Vienna.[11]

Canada

On 7 November, there was an attempted arson attack against Congregation Beth Tikvah synagogue and a Jewish Community Center in Montreal.[12][13]

On 9 November in Montreal, two Jewish children's schools, Talmud Torah Elementary and Yeshiva Gedola, were targeted with gunfire overnight, leaving bullet holes.[14][15] On 12 November, Yeshiva Gedola was struck with gunfire for a second time. In a press conference that day, Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante said, "The Jewish community in Montreal is currently under attack."[16]

Shortly after midnight on 27 November, a Jewish community center belonging to the Jewish Community Council of Montreal was attacked with a Molotov cocktail.[17]

Russia

Since 28 October, a wave of antisemitic attacks occurred in the North Caucasus region of Russia.[18]

Middle East and North Africa

On 8 October, a police officer fired his gun into a group of bus passengers in Alexandria, Egypt.[19] The attack occurred during a trip past Pompey's Pillar.[20] Two Israeli tourists and an Egyptian tour guide were killed, while another Israeli was moderately wounded.[21] The suspect was subsequently taken into custody.[22]

On 17 October the El Hamma synagogue in El Hamma, Tunisia, a historic synagogue and the burial site of 16th-century Kabbalist Rabbi Yosef Ma'aravi, was severely damaged during anti-Israel riots, with hundreds of people filmed setting fire to the building.[23][24][25] On the same day, the Or Zaruah synagogue in Melilla, a Spanish enclave in North Africa, was attacked by a mob chanting "murderous Israel" while waving Palestinian flags.[26][27][28]

East Asia

On 13 October an Israeli diplomat was stabbed in Beijing, China,[29] for which a foreign suspect was arrested.[30]

Latin America

On 8 November 2023, two men were arrested by Brazilian police in São Paulo following a warning from the Mossad that Hezbollah was planning an attack against the country's Jewish community. Searches were also conducted in Brasilia and Minas Gerais in connection with the alleged plot.[31]

Attacks against Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims

United States

Midwest

Outside Chicago, Illinois, a man while reportedly yelling "You Muslims must die" stabbed a 32-year-old Palestinian-American woman, seriously injuring her, and stabbed her six-year-old son 26 times to death. Detectives said the man targeted the family because they were Muslim, and he was upset about the conflict.[32][33][34][35][36]

On October 19, a man in Dearborn, Michigan was arrested by local police after posting on Facebook a credible threat proposing acts of violence against Palestinian-Americans in Dearborn, which has the largest population of Arab Americans in the United States. The man had posted an open invitation to "hunt Palestinians" and claimed to be part of a Jewish group protecting Israel.[37]

West

The Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Los Angeles called for an investigation to be opened by the University of California, Los Angeles after a group of men entered a space used by students watching a webinar of an ongoing panel titled "The Crisis in Palestine". The men reportedly damaged students property, verbally assaulted them calling them "terrorists" and physically threatening them before campus security removed them from the area. One of the group was allegedly spotted later at a on-campus vigil for Israel.[38][39]

On 4 November, an Arab Muslim student at Stanford University in California was hit by car driven by a white man who yelled, "fuck you and your people." The incident was investigated as a hate crime.[40]

East

Chapters of CAIR have reported other instances of Islamophobia since the war began with two alleged assaults' in Brooklyn, New York City and an individual who pointed a gun at pro-Palestine demonstrators outside of the Pennsylvania state capitol.[41] On October 28, a Princeton University staff member who took issue with a message assaulted a student at a protest.[42]

On 25 November, three Palestinian college students from Brown University, Haverford College, and Trinity College in Burlington, Vermont were confronted and shot and wounded by a white man, leaving one of the students in critical condition.[43]

On 4 January 2024, an imam in New Jersey was killed.[44]

Europe

In Europe, many Muslims fear anti-Muslim reprisals due to the Israel–Hamas war and concurrent Islamic terrorist attacks (such as the Arras school stabbing and Brussels shooting, which occurred in October 2023); the war and the attacks have emboldened some far-right voices in the western world that assert Muslims as a fifth column and an internal enemy to Europe's security.[45]

Australia

A homeowner in Sydney was threatened with a bomb attached to his car after flying a Palestinian flag in front of his home.[46]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Misidentification has become more common in the United States since the September 11 attacks in 2001.

References

  1. ^ "Why the Gaza War Has Sparked a Wave of Antisemitism and Islamophobia in the US". Voice of America. 2023-11-17. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  2. ^ Cineas, Fabiola (2023-10-31). ""History repeating itself": How the Israel-Hamas war is fueling hate against Muslims and Jews". Vox. Retrieved 2023-10-31. The violence abroad has created violence and fear in the US for Palestinians and Muslims, and for Arabs in general, as well as people incorrectly perceived to be a member of those groups, including Sikhs. Sikh men, who grow long beards and wear turbans as part of their religion, Sikhism, sometimes get mistaken as Muslim and have faced anti-Muslim violence as a result.
  3. ^ "THE SEPTEMBER 11 BACKLASH". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  4. ^ Lapin, Andrew (2023-10-26). "LA break-in investigated as hate crime after intruder allegedly tells Jewish family he wants to kill Jews". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Archived from the original on 2023-10-27. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  5. ^ Razek, Alisha Ebrahimji, John Miller, Sabrina Shulman, Raja (2023-11-02). "Jordanian arrested in Houston spoke about 'martyrdom,' made statements that support 'killing individuals of particular religious faith,' judge's order says". CNN. Archived from the original on 2023-11-04. Retrieved 2023-11-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ McCausland, Phil (2023-11-07). "Jewish man's death at duelling Israel-Palestinian protests ruled a homicide". BBC News. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  7. ^ Sales, Ben (2023-11-07). "Jewish man dies after being struck by pro-Palestinian protester, LA Jewish federation says". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  8. ^ "Germany's Scholz vows action after Molotovs thrown at synagogue". France 24. 18 October 2023. Archived from the original on 18 October 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  9. ^ "(AP via ABC News)". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2023-10-22. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  10. ^ "French police hunt suspect in stabbing of Jewish woman". Reuters. 2023-11-04. Archived from the original on 2023-11-04. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  11. ^ "Austrian authorities arrest 16-year-old for planning synagogue attack". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2023-12-11. Retrieved 2023-12-11.
  12. ^ Média, Bell (7 November 2023). "Jewish community 'outraged' after suspected arsons at Montreal-area synagogue, institution". www.iheartradio.ca. Archived from the original on 2023-11-08. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  13. ^ Smith, Patrick (2023-11-08). "Synagogue and Jewish community center in Montreal hit by attempted firebomb attack". www.aol.com. Archived from the original on 2023-11-09. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  14. ^ "Parents shaken as they pick up kids at Montreal Jewish school targeted by gunfire". Montreal Gazette. 9 November 2023.
  15. ^ "Police investigating shots fired overnight at 2 Jewish schools in Montreal". CBC. 9 November 2023.
  16. ^ "Montreal Jewish school targeted in shooting for 2nd time in less than a week, police say". ABC News. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
  17. ^ "Jewish centre hit by Molotov cocktail, school target of graffiti". CityNews Montreal. 2023-11-27. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  18. ^ "Hundreds storm airport in Russia in antisemitic riot over arrival of plane from Israel". CBS News. 2023-10-30. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  19. ^ "Two Israelis, one Egyptian shot dead in Alexandria - Foreign Min". Jerusalem Post. 8 October 2023. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  20. ^ "Two Israeli tourists and local guide shot dead in Egypt, Israel says". BBC News. 2023-10-08. Archived from the original on 2023-10-08. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  21. ^ Berman, Lazar (8 October 2023). "Two Israeli tourists killed in shooting attack at Egyptian tourist site". Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 2023-10-08. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  22. ^ "Policeman shoots dead two Israelis at Egyptian tourist site in Alexandria". Sky News. 8 October 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-10-08. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  23. ^ Historic Tunisian Synagogue Damaged Heavily in Anti-Israel Riots Archived 2023-10-19 at the Wayback Machine. The Messenger
  24. ^ Historic synagogue in Tunisia heavily damaged in rioting tied to Israel-Hamas war Archived 2023-10-19 at the Wayback Machine. Times of Israel. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  25. ^ Rioters Burn Down Synagogue in Tunisia Archived 2023-10-20 at the Wayback Machine. Algemeiner Journal. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  26. ^ Mob Attacks Synagogue in Spanish Territory: Reports Archived 2023-10-19 at the Wayback Machine. Algemeiner Journal. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  27. ^ Manifestantes pro Palestina protestan frente a la principal sinagoga de Melilla y el presidente pide que los conflictos exteriores no afecten a la convivencia Archived 2023-10-19 at the Wayback Machine. El Mundo
  28. ^ Manifestantes propalestinos asedian una sinagoga en Melilla al grito de «Israel, asesino» Archived 2023-10-20 at the Wayback Machine. El Debate. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  29. ^ "Beijing Chabad shuts down temporarily after Israeli diplomat stabbed". Firstpost. 2023-10-13. Archived from the original on 2023-10-13. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  30. ^ Associated Press (2023-10-13). "An employee at Israeli Embassy in China is stabbed. A foreign suspect has been detained". KESQ. Archived from the original on 2023-10-15. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  31. ^ "Suspects held over alleged Hezbollah plot in Brazil". BBC. 9 November 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  32. ^ Trotta, Daniel (15 October 2023). "Illinois man charged with hate crime in fatal stabbing of Muslim boy". Reuters. Archived from the original on 15 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  33. ^ Perez, Adriana (15 October 2023). "Police: Plainfield man charged with killing boy over Mideast conflict". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  34. ^ Diaz, Johnny; Smith, Mitch; Chiarito, Robert (15 October 2023). "6-Year-Old Boy Fatally Stabbed in Anti-Muslim Attack, Authorities Say". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 15 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  35. ^ "Exclusive: Mother of 6-year-old Muslim boy stabbed to death in alleged hate crime speaks out". ABC News. 26 October 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-11-02. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
  36. ^ Bowman, Emma (16 October 2023). "The fatal stabbing of American boy is being investigated as hate crime". NPR. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  37. ^ Oosting, Jonathan (October 13, 2023). "Amid Gaza war, Dearborn police arrest man for threat to 'hunt Palestinians' | Bridge Michigan". www.bridgemi.com. Archived from the original on 2023-10-20. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  38. ^ Allison, Ismail (17 October 2023). "CAIR-LA Condemns Attacks Against Pro-Palestine UCLA Students, Calls for Investigation and Ban by School". CAIR. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  39. ^ Arshad, Minnah (19 October 2023). "Battle against hate: Violence, bigotry toward Palestinian Americans spiking across US". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on 2023-10-19. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  40. ^ Yang, Anna (4 November 2023). "Hit-and-run injures Arab Muslim student, incident under investigation as hate crime". The Stanford Daily. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  41. ^ Shah, Simmone (2023-10-18). "The Israel-Hamas War is Leading to an Uptick in Hate Crimes". TIME. Archived from the original on 2023-10-19. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  42. ^ Rupertus, Annie (2023-10-31). "Princeton staff member assaults student at pro-Palestine protest in town". The Princetonian. Archived from the original on 2023-11-01. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  43. ^ Tebor, Celina; Sottile, Zoe. "3 Palestinian college students shot in Vermont". CNN. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  44. ^ "Imam killed outside New Jersey mosque in US, attacker remains at large: Report". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  45. ^ Wallis, William; Abboud, Leila; Chazan, Guy; Nilsson, Patricia (2023-10-19). "Israel-Hamas war hits close to home for Europe's Muslims". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 2023-10-19. Retrieved 2023-10-19. Ripple effects from the war between Israel and Hamas are being felt by Muslim and Arab populations across Europe, who fear an Islamophobic backlash. They worry that the conflict and recent Islamist attacks in France and Belgium are emboldening far-right voices who cast Muslims and Arabs as a fifth column posing a danger from within.
  46. ^ Saunokonoko, Mark. "Sydney homeowner threatened with car bomb for flying Palestine flag". Nine News. Retrieved 14 January 2024.