A Jewish man from France and his young son were verbally assaulted at a gas station in Italy this week in what Jewish advocacy groups are calling a serious antisemitic incident. The pair was targeted with shouts of “Free Palestine” and “murderers” after passersby noticed the child wearing a kippah, a traditional Jewish skullcap.
The child appeared visibly distressed, while his father responded by calling out “Am Yisrael Chai,” Hebrew for “The people of Israel live.” The confrontation was captured on video and circulated widely on social media, drawing both condemnation and inflammatory responses online.
Jewish father and son harassed at a gas station in Italy
Yossi Spitezki, a French Jewish advocate, expressed alarm over the footage. “A Jewish man stops at a gas station on a highway in Italy and is harassed with shouts of ‘Free Palestine’—just because they saw his son wearing a kippah. He’s French. He has no connection to Israel,” he wrote on social media.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
“Where have we come to? Don’t you think this is going a little too far? Do you want to wait another 10 years to say ‘Never again,’ or will you choose to act now against this hatred?”
1 View gallery
Woman shouts 'Free Palestine' at Jewish father and son at a gas station in Italy
(Photo: Screenshot)
The video was also shared by the French Jewish media platform Voix Juive, prompting an outpouring of support from viewers as well as some criticism of Israel. One commenter, identifying as Dido, wrote: “It’s time to severely punish actions like these, which are happening more and more each day. I’m not Jewish, but I know history: it starts with registering, then the star, then deportations… and we all know the tragic end.”
The incident comes amid rising concern over antisemitism in Europe, where visibly Jewish individuals increasingly report harassment and hostility. Community leaders say such incidents are becoming more frequent, especially amid heightened tensions related to the Israel-Hamas war.