David, 41, was violently assaulted Friday evening in the Brussels metro, between Rogier and Yser. Three young men approached him with a pretext to get close, then struck him in the face and forced him to remain seated. The attackers tore off his Star of David, a piece of jewelry with deep sentimental value. He filed a police complaint.
The testimony this man in his forties shared on social media is chilling.
“I was just beaten up by three youths in the metro and had my Star of David ripped off while they shouted ‘dirty Jew,’” David Sierzant Acitores wrote in a Facebook post, attaching a photo of his bruised face. “I chased after them without my glasses, unsuccessfully… This is what it means to be Jewish in Brussels…,” he added.
During the assault, the individuals made hostile remarks about Jews and tore off the Star of David he was wearing around his neck, a gift he had received from his father 30 years ago. They did not, however, try to steal his phone or wallet, which reinforces David’s belief that the attack was motivated by antisemitism.
David has filed a complaint. He hopes investigators will be able to identify the suspects using STIB surveillance cameras.
The assault has prompted several political reactions, notably from the Socialist Party and Les Engagés. “Nothing, and I mean nothing, can justify this violence and this hatred. This antisemitic attack is nauseating. The perpetrators must be identified and held accountable,” said Ahmed Laaouej, head of the PS group in the Brussels Parliament.
“An unacceptable antisemitic attack in Brussels. I express my full solidarity with the victim. No one should be attacked for who they are or what they wear. I will question the Ministers of the Interior and Justice, because strong and concrete answers are needed,” added Michel De Maegd, MP for Les Engagés.
