It happened in Paris and it happened in Hamburg.
Jews and other Israel supporters held vigils and rallies to express achdut – unity – over the kidnapping of three teenage Israeli boys on June 12. And people so consumed with hatred for anything Jewish – the Jewish State, Jewish solidarity, even the expression of Jewish pain – had to physically respond with violence.
First, on Thursday, June 19, exactly one week after the three boys were kidnapped, a march and rally entitled “Bring Back Our Boys,” was held in Paris.
As supporters were marching, some anti-Israel haters attacked them, throwing burning flares directly at the marchers. Startled, people began running away, but many soon turned around and ran after the perpetrators. Watch the video:
An 83-year-old participant in the vigil was attacked by a man with a Boycott Israel sign, knocking him to the ground. The elderly man’s daughter came to his aid, and she was also attacked, as was a granddaughter of the injured man.
As of Sunday, the Jewish man remained in hospital, according to Ina Dinslage, one of the organizers of the protest. Dinslage added that criminal charges will be filed against the attacker, who was verbally supported by others who were present.
“We wanted to express our solidarity with three kidnapped young people,” Dinslage said. “That participants in the vigil were attacked was very shocking.”
“That the openly racist attack was committed by people on the left is remarkable,” Dinslage added, wondering how the attack would be classified.
