Rabbi attacked with kicks and punches in Milan; 20-year-old arrested

A 60-year-old rabbi from the Jewish community in Milan was attacked on Tuesday by three young men while waiting for a bus. A 20-year-old Tunisian man was arrested on suspicion of religiously motivated violence. The Jewish community said the attackers identified him as Jewish by his clothing, cursed, kicked, and beat him. The community president said this was violence unlike any seen before. Italy's prime minister condemned the attack.

A 60-year-old rabbi from the Jewish community in Milan was attacked on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, by three young men while waiting for a bus near the city's Jewish quarter. A 20-year-old Tunisian man was arrested on suspicion of 'religiously motivated violence', and two other young men, aged 19 and 22, of Tunisian and Moroccan origin, are suspected of involvement in the assault. According to a statement from the Jewish community of Milan, the three identified the rabbi as Jewish by his clothing, surrounded him, cursed him, kicked him, and punched him. The community president, Walker Mehnagi, said this was 'violence unlike any seen before'. He said the attackers removed the rabbi's hat, stomped on it, and spat at him. The rabbi photographed the suspects as they fled and filed a police complaint. Italy's Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, condemned the attack, calling it a 'cowardly and unacceptable incident'. The Israeli embassy in Rome also responded, stating that the incident is not isolated and that anti-Semitism in Italy and Europe is on the rise.