A Jewish man was violently attacked in the Brussels metro. Three young men approached him under a pretext in order to get closer, before punching him in the face and forcing him to remain seated. The attackers then tore off his Star of David, a piece of jewellery of significant sentimental value. David has filed a complaint with the police.
“I’ve just been beaten by three young men in the metro and had my Star of David ripped off while they shouted ‘dirty Jew’,” David wrote in a message posted on Facebook, alongside a photo of his bruised face. “I chased after them without my glasses, unsuccessfully… This is what it means to be Jewish in Brussels…” he added.
During the assault, the individuals reportedly made hostile remarks about Jews and tore off the Star of David he was wearing around his neck — a gift he had received from his father 30 years ago. The attackers did not attempt to steal his phone or wallet, which he believes reinforces the view that the assault was motivated by antisemitism.
David hopes investigators will be able to identify the suspects using CCTV footage from STIB, Brussels’ public transport operator.
