Germans scream "Heil Hitler," viciously beat Israelis in shocking Budapest attack 

A disturbing antisemitic assault took place in central Budapest a week ago, when a group of intoxicated German tourists violently attacked eight visibly Jewish Israeli men, including two local residents and six tourists, shortly after Shabbat prayers.

The men, identifiable by their traditional haredi dress, were walking toward a friend's apartment when they were suddenly surrounded by about 15 young German men. According to witness accounts, the attackers began shouting antisemitic slurs such as “Heil Hitler,” “dirty Jews,” and “kill the Jews.”

One of the victims, Yossi (a pseudonym), recounted the traumatic scene: “We were trying to de-escalate. We even shook hands with two of them who didn’t seem aggressive. Then, out of nowhere, one guy jumped out of a taxi, screamed ‘Dirty Jew, I’ll kill you,’ gave a Nazi salute, and punched me in the face. I lost consciousness. My face was cut, and they knocked off my glasses and kippah.”

Yossi was left so shaken that he locked himself in his hotel room for days and delayed his return to Israel. His family, who had planned to join him in Hungary, canceled their trip out of fear. “We didn’t provoke them in any way,” he said. “We were attacked only because we’re Jews. It was pure hate.”

Hungarian police were quick to respond, arresting one of the attackers on the scene while another fled. However, in a shocking turn, Yossi himself was also detained after one of the Germans falsely accused him of starting the altercation. He described degrading conditions at the police station: “I was held for hours without food, water, or even shoes. No one would speak to me or explain anything.”

It was only when Hungary’s hate crimes unit arrived and provided an interpreter that Yossi was released. He emphasized that while he had traveled to Hungary many times without issue, this experience was a terrifying first. “This wasn’t drunken misbehavior: it was a violent antisemitic attack. I suffered a broken nose and lasting trauma.”

The local Jewish community has stepped in to assist, offering legal support to the victims and pushing for full accountability and justice for those responsible.