Violent incidents in reaction to the 2023 Israel–Hamas war

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Since the start of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war on 7 October 2023, numerous attacks took place both internally and internationally as part of, and in response to the conflict. These attacks were mostly antisemitic, anti-Israel, anti-Muslim, or anti-Palestinian, but others (usually minority groups) have been targeted.

Attacks against Jews and Israelis

See also: Antisemitism during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war

On 8 October, a police officer fired his gun into a group of bus passengers in Alexandria, Egypt.[1] The attack occurred during a trip past Pompey's Pillar.[2] Two Israeli tourists and an Egyptian tour guide were killed, while another Israeli was moderately wounded.[3] The suspect was subsequently taken into custody.[4]

On 13 October an Israeli diplomat was stabbed in Beijing, China,[5] for which a foreign suspect was arrested.[6]

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.[7][8][9] 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.[10][11][12]

On 18 October two Molotov cocktails were thrown at a synagogue in the Mitte neighborhood of central Berlin. One person was arrested.[13] On 21 October an explosive device was detonated near the Israeli embassy in Cyprus, four men of Syrian origin were detained.[14] Since 28 October, a wave of antisemitic attacks occurred in the North Caucasus region of Russia.[15]

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.[16][17]

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.[18]

Attacks against Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims

See also: Anti-Palestinianism during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war and Islamophobia during the 2023 Israel-Hamas war

United States

Midwest

Further information: Killing of Wadea al-Fayoume

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.[19][20][21][22][23]

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 is 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.[24]

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.[25][26] On 4 November, an Arab Muslim student at Stanford University was hit by car driven by a white man who yelled, "fuck you and your people."[27] The incident was investigated as a hate crime.[27]

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.[28] On October 28, a Princeton University staff member who took issue with a message assaulted a student at a protest.[29]

In late November, several videos emerged depicting 64-year-old Stuart Seldowitz harassing and threatening a 24-year-old halal cart vendor in the Upper East Side with a series of racist and Islamophobic questions and remarks, including calling the vendor a "terrorist" and a "terrible person", asking, "Did you rape your daughter like Muhammad did?", asking, "What do you think of that – people who use the Quran as a toilet?" threatening to call Egyptian intelligence services to torture the vendor's father, and stating, "If we killed 4,000 Palestinian kids, you know what? It was enough. It wasn’t enough!"[30][31] The videos were recorded during several incidents over the course of two weeks.[32] Seldowitz worked in the U.S. State Department’s Office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs and then served as Acting Director of the National Security Council South Asia Directorate during the Obama administration. He was also the Foreign Affairs Chair at Gotham Government Relations, a lobbying firm, which ended all affiliation with him after the video emerged. The NYPD said it was aware of the videos and was monitoring the situation, reporting that Seldowitz's behavior made the vendor feel "afraid and annoyed." Seldowitz was taken into custody on November 22 and charged with one count of aggravated harassment of race or religion and four counts of stalking as a hate crime. He was granted supervised release on November 23 under the condition that he refrain from interacting with food cart vendors.[31][33]

On 25 November, three Palestinian college students in Burlington, Vermont were confronted and shot by a white man, leaving one of the students in critical condition.[34]

Europe

In Europe, many Muslims fear anti-Muslim reprisals due to the Israel–Hamas war and Islamist attacks (such as the Arras school stabbing and Brussels shooting which occurred in October 2023), which emboldened some far-right voices in the west to view Muslims as a fifth column and an internal enemy to state security.[35]

Attacks against Sikhs

The Israel–Hamas war has also led to increased hate crimes and violence against Sikhs in the United States. These attacks are usually by those who mistake Sikh individuals for Muslims, due to having long beards and wearing turbans (which are considered by the attackers to signify Muslim individuals) as part of their religion.[36] Some of these attacks have been lethal.[37]

See also

References

  1. ^ "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.
  2. ^ "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.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "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.
  5. ^ "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.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ Historic Tunisian Synagogue Damaged Heavily in Anti-Israel Riots Archived 2023-10-19 at the Wayback Machine. The Messenger
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ Rioters Burn Down Synagogue in Tunisia Archived 2023-10-20 at the Wayback Machine. Algemeiner Journal. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  10. ^ Mob Attacks Synagogue in Spanish Territory: Reports Archived 2023-10-19 at the Wayback Machine. Algemeiner Journal. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  11. ^ 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
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ "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.
  14. ^ "(AP via ABC News)". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2023-10-22. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  15. ^ "Hundreds storm airport in Russia in antisemitic riot over arrival of plane from Israel". CBS News. 2023-10-30. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  16. ^ McCausland, Phil (2023-11-07). "Jewish man's death at duelling Israel-Palestinian protests ruled a homicide". BBC News. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  17. ^ 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.
  18. ^ "Suspects held over alleged Hezbollah plot in Brazil". BBC. 9 November 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ Perez, Adriana (15 October 2023). "Police: Plainfield man charged with killing boy over Mideast conflict". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ "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.
  23. ^ 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.
  24. ^ 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.
  25. ^ 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.
  26. ^ 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.
  27. ^ a b 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.
  28. ^ 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.
  29. ^ 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.
  30. ^ "Gotham Government Relations cuts ties with former Obama administration official caught harassing halal cart vendor". City & State NY. 2023-11-22. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  31. ^ a b El-Bawab, Nadine (2023-11-24). "Former Obama official charged with harassment, stalking of halal cart vendor". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2023-11-24. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  32. ^ "Former Obama adviser granted supervised release after halal cart confrontation". ABC7 New York. 2023-11-24. Archived from the original on 2023-11-24. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  33. ^ "Former Obama adviser in custody, faces hate crime charges after halal cart confrontation". ABC7 New York. 2023-11-22. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  34. ^ Tebor, Celina; Sottile, Zoe. "3 Palestinian college students shot in Vermont". CNN. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  35. ^ 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.
  36. ^ 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.
  37. ^ Nolan, Erin (2023-10-31). "Man Accused in Fatal Beating of Sikh Driver Faces Hate Crimes Charges". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2023-10-31. Retrieved 2023-10-31. The killing of Mr. Singh occurred amid what New York police officials have described as a wave of reported hate crimes in the city since the war between Israel and Hamas began. Many of the attacks have been against Jews and Muslims, but others have been targeted, too.
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