Zurich teen who stabbed Jewish man had pledged loyalty to ISIS

The Swiss teenager who stabbed an orthodox Jewish man on Saturday had pledged loyalty to the Islamic State and described himself as a soldier of the caliphate, Government Councillor Mario Fehr said in a press briefing on Monday.

Fehr confirmed the validity of a video posted by the 15-year-old Swiss-born assailant of Tunisian descent, who also shouted in Arabic about Jihad during the attack.

The Councillor condemned the attack and pledged to protect the Jewish citizens of Zurich. The Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG) said on Sunday that the Zurich City Police, supported by the Canton police, were increasing security at Jewish sites. SIG said that it had also increased its security measures.

SIG said that while physical attacks in Switzerland were rare, they and other antisemitic incidents had increased since the October 7 massacre in Israel.

Antisemitism reaches new levels in Switzerland
“The hatred of Jewish people has reached a frightening new level with this knife attack,” SIG President Ralph Lewin said. “A community member was brutally targeted in the middle of Zurich, for no personal reasons and just because he looked Jewish.”
Despite the community’s fears, Lewin said that Jewish life had to continue.

Hundreds gathered in solidarity against antisemitism at the site of the stabbing, the European Jewish Congress said on Tuesday. The activists carried yellow umbrellas and banners that declared “Never again is now.”

City Councilor Jehuda Spielman told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday that bystanders had rushed in to restrain the attacker, and said that people should pay attention to the role of Zurich’s citizens in taking a stand against the antisemitic attack.

Fehr and SIG offered their hopes that the victim would have a speedy recovery from the multiple stab wounds. Spielman said that the victim, a 50-year-old Orthodox Jew, had a long road to recovery.

Source » msn.com