|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
A Jewish man in Missoula, Montana, was attacked on Tuesday by a self-proclaimed Nazi, in an assault now being prosecuted as a hate crime.
The assault occurred outside the Poverello Center, a local homeless shelter. Police later arrested 29-year-old Michael Cain in connection with the incident.
According to authorities, Cain noticed a Star of David tattoo on the victim’s arm and confronted him about it. When the man confirmed that he was Jewish, Cain reportedly said he followed Nazi beliefs. The encounter quickly turned violent as Cain kicked and punched the victim, who had fallen to the ground.
Police located and detained Cain shortly afterward. During his transport to the Missoula County Detention Facility, he told officers he belonged to the “4th Reich.” Court filings show he also admitted that, had the victim “been more adamant about his beliefs,” he would have attacked him for being Jewish.
Prosecutors charged Cain with felony malicious intimidation or harassment tied to civil or human rights violations. A local judge set his bail at $50,000.
Investigators confirmed that the case is being treated as a bias-motivated assault. They noted that violent antisemitic behavior, though infrequent in Montana, mirrors a disturbing national rise in hate-based crimes.
Antisemitism Knows No Borders
Montana’s Jewish community numbers fewer than 1,500 people out of a population of over 1.1 million. Jewish organizations have cautioned that white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups continue to target rural areas for recruitment. The Missoula attack highlights how antisemitic ideologies can surface even in regions with few Jewish residents and limited exposure to Jewish life.
The assault took place exactly two years after Hamas’s October 7th massacre in Israel — a day of mourning for Jews worldwide. The timing underscored the persistence of antisemitic hatred that transcends geography and context.
Incidents like this one reveal how extremist ideologies feed on ignorance and dehumanization. Combating these beliefs requires a united effort across education, law enforcement, and civil society to ensure Jewish communities remain safe and supported.
Take Action
CAM has launched Report It — a secure app to report antisemitic incidents anonymously and in real time. Don’t stay silent — download it today on the Apple Store or Google Play. See it. Report it. Stop it. Together, we can fight this hate.
