The Antisemitism Reporting Center of the Jewish Community
of Vienna (IKG) documented 1,520 antisemitic incidents last year. This represented an increase of 32.5 percent compared to 2023, setting a new record. It’s unlikely to stop there. Reports of antisemitic insults and attacks also increased again over the summer.
First, it was an Orthodox Jew wearing a kippah and carrying a small child who outraged the taxi driver. “As the man was crossing the street with the child and the taxi driver had to stop for a moment, he suddenly said to me: ‘I almost ran him over, but whatever, he’s a Jew anyway, one less won’t hurt.'” Ms. K. (name withheld from the editors) is Jewish herself. A week ago on Monday, she was sitting in a taxi from the 2nd district to an appointment. “You can’t tell my Jewish religious affiliation,” she says. So the taxi driver just kept talking: “I hate Jews. It doesn’t matter whether they’re adults or children, I’d like to kill all Jews.”
She was terribly frightened and initially sat silently in the back seat of the taxi. “But the driver just wouldn’t stop hurling anti-Semitic slurs.”
Finally, the taxi driver, whose first name is Mustafa according to the taxi app, asked her if she was Jewish. “Then he said, ‘ If you’re Jewish, you can get out right now ,’ and threw me out of the taxi.” Afterward, he shouted, “Fucking Jews! I’ll kill you!” The whole thing happened in the middle of Vienna, in the middle of the day.
This is said to be not the only anti-Semitic incident reported in the 2nd and 20th districts last week. Last Friday, a Jewish citizen was evicted from the Brigittenau district . The new Viennese, who had studied in New York and recently moved to Austria for his wedding , was choosing furniture in a store in Brigittenau when his cell phone rang. It was his mother, who lives in Israel. After the man spoke briefly with her in Hebrew, he was told there was nothing for him to buy and he had to leave the store. A video of the incident went viral on social media .
Two salespeople confirmed the incident to Falter.morgen . However, it unfolded quite differently: “The man was totally annoyed because he only spoke English and no German,” one salesperson recounted. “I then asked him what language he spoke, thinking maybe Arabic, so we could understand each other better.” The customer didn’t want to say that and was very annoyed and unfriendly. “That’s why we didn’t sell him anything, not because he’s Jewish.” In any case, a visit to the furniture store reveals where the sympathy lies: a “Palestine” flag hangs prominently behind the sales counter.
“The number of reports of antisemitic insults, physical attacks, and discrimination against Jews and people perceived as Jewish increased significantly during the summer,” confirms the Antisemitism Reporting Center of the Jewish Community. Reporting center staff also observe that those affected by antisemites are increasingly being directly attacked. “Not all cases are being reported due to confidentiality or protection reasons at the request of those affected.”
Ms. K. and the furniture store customer also wish to remain anonymous. The shock is too deep, the fear of negative consequences too great. “I was born in Vienna, this city has always been my home,” says Ms. K., “but last week, for the first time, I seriously considered moving away from Austria.”
