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An Uber driver in Vienna, Austria verbally and physically attacked a Jewish family last week after discovering that some of the passengers were Israeli.
The driver hurled antisemitic slurs, called the family “murderers” and “child killers,” struck the father, and forced them out of the car.
The family — two parents, two children aged 10 and 13, and a 75-year-old woman — had booked the ride to attend a birthday dinner. According to Austria’s Jewish Religious Community (IKG), the driver launched into an antisemitic tirade mid-ride. He pulled over, ordered the family to exit, and hit the father before driving away.
The family filed a police report. Uber immediately suspended the driver and opened an internal investigation, the company told Ynet.
‘Not an Exaggeration’: Vienna’s Jewish Leader Issues Dire Warning
Oskar Deutsch, president of Vienna’s Jewish community, condemned the attack and warned that such incidents were no longer rare.
“A Salzburg cinema refuses to screen a film about Jewish life. Israeli guests are thrown out of restaurants,” he wrote on Facebook. “We are seeing a significant accumulation of such incidents over the past weeks.”
Deutsch urged authorities to act. “If decisive action is not taken, then soon there will be no place left for Jews in Europe. No, that’s not an exaggeration,” he warned.
📍 Vienna, Austria · August 18, 2025
An Uber driver assaulted a Jewish father in front of his children, after shouting “murderers” and “child killers” and forcing the family out of his car.
Uber has suspended the driver. pic.twitter.com/tKIr8Y0j3E
— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) August 19, 2025
The attack is just one of several recent incidents targeting Israelis in Austria.
In July, acclaimed Israeli-American cellist Amit Peled was expelled from a Vienna restaurant after being overheard speaking Hebrew.
“The initial shock and humiliation were profound,” Peled later wrote in a widely-circulated Instagram post.
“What struck us even more deeply was what came next — or rather, what didn’t,” he added. “The people around us were clearly startled… and then, quietly, they went back to their dinners, their conversations, their wine — as though nothing had happened. Welcome to Europe, 2025.”
