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Today's Paper | May 10, 2026

Published 06 Mar, 2024 02:00pm

Swiss Jewish group demands action on anti-Semitism after stabbing

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.

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