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Three Jews in Frankfurt, Germany, came under attack Friday during a vigil marking 687 days since Hamas kidnapped Israeli hostages in the October 7th attack.
Community activist Sasha Stabsky, 55, said he and two others were hanging photos of the 50 remaining hostages on a fence in Grunburg Park when a masked woman threw red paint on them.
Around 20 to 30 pro-Palestinian activists gathered nearby. Many wore masks, tried to block the vigil, and shouted antisemitic insults.
“We heard antisemitic chants, were called ‘child killers’ and heard shouts of ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘genocide,’” Stabsky told Bild. “Then we were attacked with paint. Some of it got on my glasses so I couldn’t clearly see the assailant.”
Police Increase Patrols After Assault
Frankfurt police confirmed the incident and announced stronger patrols in the park. Officials also pledged to adjust security plans to protect future events.
Stabsky explained that the violence followed repeated vandalism of the vigil displays. “In recent days the pictures I hung in the park were repeatedly torn down,” he said. “This time it escalated to a physical attack, which is shocking in a city twinned with Tel Aviv.”
Representatives of Frankfurt’s Jewish community denounced the harassment. Speaking to the Frankfurter Allgemeine, they emphasized that removing the photos of hostages was not a political statement but “a blow to the families of the hostages in Gaza” and must be recognized as antisemitism.
Community members also noted that a permanent pro-Palestinian camp operates in the same area. According to them, many events there spread extremist rhetoric and incitement against Israel.
The Frankfurt assault underscores a dangerous reality. Across the world, Jewish communities face rising hostility linked to the war in Gaza. Words and symbols of hate all too often become violent attacks.
