A group of ultra-Orthodox Israelis was attacked Tuesday evening near the Ukraine-Poland border by a man described as violent and antisemitic while they were traveling back from a pilgrimage site in western Ukraine.
The group had been returning from the city of Hlukhiv, home to the burial site of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of the Chabad Hasidic movement, when the incident occurred. Video of the confrontation was recorded at the scene.
Footage of the incident near Ukraine-Poland border
One member of the group said they stopped at a gas station to buy water when a local man approached them and initially greeted them. After they responded, the man began shouting and cursing in Ukrainian.
“He became very violent, to the point that even our driver, who is Ukrainian, was frightened and moved away,” the man said.
According to the group, one of the travelers, who speaks some Ukrainian, tried to speak with the man and calm him down. The situation quickly escalated. The attacker approached their vehicle, opened its doors and threw bottles while tossing items out of the car.
During the confrontation, the man hurled antisemitic insults and slogans at the group, telling them that “even in Israel they hate you” and calling them “disgusting.”
Motti Alboim, chief executive of the Chevra Kadisha in Kfar Saba and a senior volunteer with the ZAKA emergency response organization, was among those present. Alboim intervened and tried to place himself between the attacker and the rest of the group.
“Friends of the Ukrainian somehow managed to pull him about two meters away from the vehicle,” Alboim said. “We got into the car quickly and drove off. The entire incident was frightening.”
Alboim added that the driver claimed to have seen a weapon inside the attacker’s vehicle, though the group said there was no confirmation of that claim.
No injuries were reported. It was not immediately clear whether the incident was reported to local authorities.
The attack comes amid heightened concern over antisemitic incidents across Europe as Jewish travelers continue to visit religious and historical sites despite regional instability linked to the war in Ukraine.