A leader of Switzerland’s Jewish community demanded “concrete” action after the weekend stabbing of an Orthodox Jewish man, allegedly by a teenager pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group, AFP reports.
The 50-year-old Orthodox Jewish man was stabbed and seriously injured in Switzerland’s largest city late Saturday, authorities said.
“The fact that such an event has not caused a national outcry is a real problem, because it brings to light a lack of awareness of how serious the situation is,” said Johanne Gurfinkiel, leader of Intercommunity Coordination Against Anti-Semitism and Defamation (CICAD).
Gurfinkiel judged that the attack was only a matter of time given the negative atmosphere amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
He said there had been a “massive” rise in anti-Semitic acts in Switzerland in recent years and that the number had shot up 68 percent in 2023 due to the start of the conflict.
