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The victim was flown to Israel for emergency treatment, underwent surgery on his eye, and ultimately lost vision in that eye due to the severity of his injuries.
By United with Israel Staff
As violent antisemitic incidents continue to rise dramatically around the world, a young Israeli was brutally attacked over the weekend in Limassol, Cyprus, after being heard speaking Hebrew in what appears to be another targeted act of anti-Jewish violence.
The assault occurred Saturday night outside the hotel where the victim was staying while traveling after completing his military service.
Family members said the attack began moments after he was overheard speaking Hebrew, a detail that has raised serious concerns about an antisemitic motive.
The victim’s father told Kan News that his son was on the phone in Hebrew when a stranger approached him and asked for a cigarette. Moments later, the encounter escalated into a brutal attack.
The young man was later flown to Israel for emergency treatment, underwent surgery on his eye, and ultimately lost vision in that eye due to the severity of his injuries.
In a Facebook post, the father described the violence in stark terms. “They attacked my son at the entrance to the hotel in Cyprus,” he wrote.
“Not on the street, not in a bar, but at the hotel entrance, a place that is supposed to be safe and secure. He was brutally beaten, suffered serious head and facial injuries, and was evacuated for medical treatment.”
The victim’s younger brother, Maor, shared additional details, describing how two strangers initially approached his brother and questioned him about his identity and background. Feeling uneasy, he chose not to engage. Minutes later, he received a video call from a friend in Hebrew.
“At that moment, they realized he was Israeli,” Maor wrote. “From there, the incident took a violent and severe turn. They attacked him together until he lost consciousness, stole his phone, and fled.”
Maor added that medical help arrived only after a significant delay, and described the incident as “a serious and violent attack, with a clear suspicion of an antisemitic motive.”
The assault comes amid a sharp global rise in antisemitic incidents, as Jews and Israelis increasingly report being targeted simply for their language, identity, or visible connection to the Jewish people.
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