A Jewish family fell victim to a serious antisemitic incident in Vienna last week. According to reports, an Uber driver who had been called to transport the family hurled antisemitic insults at them, stopped the ride midway, forced them out of the car, and physically assaulted the father.
In the car were a couple, their two children aged 10 and 13, and a 75-year-old woman. The family was on its way to a birthday party when the driver launched into a verbal attack after learning that some family members were from Israel, calling them “murderers” and “child killers.”
The driver declared that he did not want “child killers” in his car. He then stopped the vehicle, demanded the passengers get out, and continued cursing at the family on the street. Not stopping there, he approached the father and physically assaulted him.
The family contacted the Center for Reporting Antisemitism of the Jewish Community (IKG) in Vienna, which assisted them in filing a police complaint. They continue to receive support following the incident.
The case sparked a media and public outcry in Austria, amid a troubling rise in antisemitic incidents in the country over the past year. Jewish communities and human rights organizations strongly condemned the attack and called on the authorities to take firm action against the driver.
Oscar Deutsch, president of the IKG, sharply condemned the assault. He stressed that this was not an isolated case, citing other examples such as a Jewish life film not being screened in Salzburg and restaurants rejecting Israeli guests. Deutsch criticized the fact that insults and discrimination were dismissed as “minor offenses” and “often legitimized.”
Uber stated that the company has launched an internal investigation and that the driver was immediately suspended. Meanwhile, local authorities are examining whether to file criminal charges against him for assault and incitement.
This was not the only antisemitic incident in the Austrian capital. On Friday night, a Jewish couple leaving Vienna’s Great Synagogue was harassed. The victim, Avi, said that he and his wife were deeply shaken.
“In front of me stood two antisemites shouting ‘Free Palestine,’ ‘Free Gaza,’ ‘To hell with Israel,’ and other curses. Luckily, one of them grabbed the other just before he raised his hand against us,” according to Avi.
“I don’t know if he was local or an immigrant, we didn’t really pay attention. It was very frightening, but if his friend hadn’t stopped him, it would have ended in a physical assault.”