A group of ultra-Orthodox Israelis waiting for a flight to Israel at Krakow Airport in Poland were attacked by a man wearing what appeared to be an airport employee badge. Among those targeted was Rabbi Simcha Krakowski, head of the Beit Hatavshil charity in Bnei Brak. Video footage of the incident circulated online.
The video shows the man confronting one of the ultra-Orthodox travelers, who was holding a bag with Hebrew writing. At one point, the attacker moved aggressively toward one of the young men. Other members of the group urged him not to respond. The man could be heard shouting, “Why are you in Poland? Go back to Israel.”
Footage from the incident
One of the ultra-Orthodox men described the antisemitic incident: “We were praying and were just about to finish. We were standing to the side and did not disturb anyone. Suddenly this non-Jew arrived, as seen in the video. He shouted and yelled, ‘Don’t pray.’ I tried to tell him that we were finishing the prayer, but he continued to shout and go wild. We thought maybe he was a police officer or a local worker who could call the police, and no one wanted trouble before the flight.”
The same passenger added, “He screamed, ‘This is Poland, not Israel. What are you doing here?’ He also tried to raise his hands. He pushed one of the men, as seen in the video. Eventually, police arrived, removed him and took his details, and we hurried to board our flight back to Israel.”
Police intervened and separated the attacker from the group. No injuries were reported.