As we previously reported , a serious anti-Semitic incident occurred in downtown Budapest on Friday night, where Israeli Orthodox Jews were attacked by German tourists.
The attacked group did not give up, the attackers took the short cut, while the police ended the conflict.
The Action and Protection Foundation managed to speak to one of the Israeli tourists, who we asked about the details of the incident.
What happened immediately before the incident?
On Friday evening, we had just finished evening prayer and dinner at the Pesti Stibel, and the eight of us set off for a friend’s apartment on Dob Street. At the intersection of Dob Street and Károly Boulevard, we passed a group of about fifteen German tourists who, seeing our religious attire, made offensive comments to us.
What exactly was said about them?
They started with racial slurs and jew-bashing. We didn’t notice them until one of them started shouting „Heil Hitler,” but several others were also shouting insults like „dirty Jews” and „kill the Jews.” In our shock, we started explaining to them that this was not acceptable, to which they responded with violence.
Did they try to avoid a clash, to calm the attackers down?
Myself and a friend stepped in with the intention of making peace, and for a while it seemed that things were calming down. We even shook hands with two men who were not involved in the attack, and they apologized for their companions’ behavior. But then, in a matter of moments, we found ourselves in the middle of a fight.
One of the attackers got out of a taxi, shouted at me, “You filthy Jew, I will kill you,” and gave me the Nazi salute. The physical assault left me briefly unconscious, the skin on my face was scraped off, and my glasses and kippah were gone.
Following the incident, I was afraid to leave the hotel for the rest of Saturday, and because I feared for my safety, I had to extend my stay in Budapest, as did several others in our group. My family, who were supposed to join me in Budapest, canceled their trip due to the incident.
I want to emphasize clearly and unequivocally that we were attacked without any provocation. We acted only in self-defense against a racist, anti-Semitic attack.
What do you think about the police action?
They reacted quickly and probably saved my life when two of them attacked me. One of them was arrested, the other fled. However, later one of the police officers treated me as the aggressor, as one of the attackers managed to convince a police officer that I was the one who attacked first.
Against my will, on Saturday they took me to the police station, where they ignored all my questions, saying they didn’t understand English. They kept me in the detention center without shoes or belts, and some of the attackers again testified falsely against us.
I was given no food or drink for hours. After the hate crimes unit showed up, they treated me like a human being again, and they brought me an interpreter who was fantastic and even bought me a can of Coke. After they listened to my statement, they released me.
Did they feel threatened from the moment they left the synagogue, or did the incident catch their company completely by surprise?
I visit Budapest often and I have never felt threatened. What happened came as a surprise to all of us.
Do you consider the incident a random conflict or a deliberate anti-Semitic hate crime?
No matter how drunk they were, this was definitely a hate crime.
Are you planning to take legal action?
Yes. My colleagues and I are exhausting all legal options to ensure that something like this never happens again. We contacted the Deed and Protection Foundation, and they supported us with legal assistance during the witness interview, as well as representing our interests as victims throughout the entire procedure.
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