Orthodox Jewish Man Attacked in Switzerland as Surge in Antisemitism Prompts Authorities to Boost Security

An Orthodox Jewish man was physically assaulted in Zurich on Monday in the latest outrage of a surging wave of antisemitic incidents across Switzerland, sparking outcry within the Jewish community as authorities moved to bolster protections for Jews and Israelis nationwide.

According to local media, a 26-year-old Jewish man was brutally attacked late Monday night in northern Switzerland by an unknown individual, sustaining light injuries, including scratches and abrasions to his neck and other parts of his body.

Zurich police reported that the attack occurred without any provocation while the victim was standing in the street, with the assailant repeatedly punching him and shouting antisemitic slurs.

“The attack was not random, but specifically targeted at a Jewish individual,” local authorities said in a statement. 

Before police arrived, bystanders intervened to help the victim, restraining the suspect, who continued hurling antisemitic slurs even after officers reached the scene.

The assailant, a 40-year-old Kosovo resident with no fixed address in Switzerland and a prior record for unrelated offenses, was arrested at the scene and transferred to the Zurich public prosecutor’s office following an initial police interrogation.

The Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG) strongly condemned the attack, urging authorities to step up protections for Jewish communities amid a surge of relentless antisemitism in the country.

“This incident is part of a series of antisemitic attacks that have increased sharply in Switzerland since October 2023,” SIG wrote in a post on X, referring to the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. 

“Jewish people have become targets of insults and physical violence simply because of their appearance and their Jewish identity,” the statement read.

The Foundation Against Racism and Antisemitism (GRA) also denounced the incident, warning of the alarming rise of hatred and the increasing normalization of antisemitism in society.

“Antisemitic narratives are becoming increasingly commonplace in some sections of society,” GRA wrote in a statement. “They are relativized and trivialized in political debates, on social media, and in everyday life.”

The European Jewish Congress (EJC) joined the local Jewish community in condemning the attack, emphasizing the urgent need to combat antisemitism and protect Jewish communities across the continent.

“No one should be attacked, insulted, or made to feel unsafe simply because of their Jewish identity,” EJC said in a post on X. 

We are deeply concerned by the antisemitic assault against a young Orthodox Jew in Zurich.

No one should be attacked, insulted or made to feel unsafe simply because of their Jewish identity.

As the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities – @SIGFSCI rightly stated, this incident… pic.twitter.com/ONAtOYbwLO

— European Jewish Congress (@eurojewcong) February 4, 2026

Like most countries across Europe and the broader Western world, Switzerland has seen a rise in antisemitic incidents over the last two years, in the wake of the Oct. 7 atrocities.

According to EJC, 23 antisemitic incidents have recently been reported in Zurich schools, ranging from antisemitic remarks in public spaces and far-right symbols like swastikas carved into desks to direct provocations, threats, and assaults on students.

In 2024, Switzerland recorded 221 “real-world,” or non-online, antisemitic incidents, including an attempted arson attack at a Zurich synagogue and a stabbing in which a 15-year-old Swiss teenager seriously injured an Orthodox Jew, claiming the attack on behalf of the Islamic State.

As part of a broader initiative to strengthen security for Jewish institutions, Zurich’s city parliament last month decided to double funding for the protection of synagogues and other Jewish sites, increasing it from $1.3 million to $2.6 million.