i24NEWS Crew Attacked in Belfast While Filming Report

A violent incident occurred last week in Belfast, Northern Ireland, when an i24NEWS television crew was attacked while filming a documentary about antisemitism in Europe.

Reporter Yonatan Rowe and cameraman Nadav Eves were forced to flee the scene after an assailant hurled a large beer glass at the cameraman, causing a head wound.

The assault took place as the crew was conducting interviews in a bar district for a segment on rising antisemitism across Europe. According to details released by the network, the team was speaking with locals when an individual became agitated upon realizing the crew was from Israel.

The attacker initially attempted to seize the camera equipment from the journalists. When that failed, he continued disrupting the filming, making obscene gestures toward the camera until shooting was halted. Though the crew tried to de-escalate and move away, the man pursued them in a threatening manner.

Violent antisemitic attack (Courtesy of i24News)

At that point, Rowe and Eves called for help from security personnel at nearby establishments, but the attacker was undeterred. He grabbed a large beer glass and threw it forcefully at cameraman Eves, striking him in the head and causing a bleeding laceration. The crew immediately left the area. Despite the injury, Eves did not require additional medical treatment.

Following the incident, both journalists left Ireland and returned safely to Israel. The entire confrontation was captured on the crew's cameras.

Rowe, an i24NEWS correspondent, has been extensively covering the global rise in antisemitism in recent months. He has previously produced special reports on the subject from Spain and New York, which aired on i24NEWS's flagship broadcasts and its international channels worldwide.

The Northern Ireland piece represents Rowe's third documentary series on antisemitism and is scheduled to air in coming weeks on i24NEWS. The violent encounter the crew experienced illustrates the complex and sometimes dangerous reality facing Israeli journalists covering antisemitism in Europe.

The Belfast assault adds to a growing list of antisemitic incidents documented across Europe in recent months. A recently published report by the Global Coalition to Combat Antisemitism indicates a dramatic 340 percent increase in antisemitic incidents worldwide.