Horrific Attack
Israeli Tourist Brutally Attacked in Cyprus, Permanently Blinded, After Speaking Hebrew on Phone
An Israeli man was brutally beaten outside a hotel in Cyprus after being overheard speaking Hebrew, suffering permanent blindness in one eye in what authorities are probing as an antisemitic hate crime amid a global surge in attacks on Jews abroad.
An Israeli man was severely beaten outside a hotel in Limassol, Cyprus, in what authorities are investigating as an antisemitic hate crime.The assault occurred after the victim was overheard speaking Hebrew during a phone conversation at the hotel entrance.
A group of local youths reportedly approached him, cursed, and then attacked him with punches and kicks until he lost consciousness.
The victim suffered serious injuries, including permanent loss of sight in one eye. He was initially treated locally before being flown back to Israel for emergency surgery.
The incident was a brutal and severe attack motivated by the victim being identified as Israeli/Jewish.The victim's family posted about the ordeal on social media, noting that despite filing a complaint, no immediate action was taken by local police at the time.
Arutz Sheva reported:
“Afterward, we contacted the relevant authorities, including the Israeli consulate, and the response we received was: ‘Sunday-we’re on vacation.’ When an Israeli citizen is injured abroad after a violent attack, the system is simply unavailable. There is no taking responsibility, no response. No sense of backing. There is documentation, there are medical records, and there are witnesses,” he said.
Cypriot authorities have since opened an investigation into the incident as antisemitic. Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is aware of the case and providing assistance.
This attack comes amid a global rise in antisemitic incidents targeting identifiable Jews or Israelis abroad, often triggered by hearing Hebrew or seeing Jewish symbols.
No arrests have been reported yet, and details on the perpetrators remain limited. The Israeli embassy in Cyprus has not issued an official statement.