Israeli Youth Brutally Attacked in Montenegro Amid Antisemitic Assault

On July 11, a group of Israeli youths vacationing in Budva, Montenegro, were violently attacked by dozens of locals in an antisemitic incident. The group, from communities near the Gaza border, was first approached by four men who asked their origin; upon hearing "Israel," the men hurled insults in English and Arabic. The attackers initially left but returned with 10-15 more young men aged 20-21, who physically assaulted the Israelis with punches, kicks, chairs, and tables, chasing them as they tried to flee. Some victims were knocked down and repeatedly beaten, with one even having a cigarette extinguished on him. The victims, who wore no kippahs or Israeli symbols, reported that local police did not intervene despite witnessing the attack and told them they were "making too much noise for the neighbors," leaving without providing assistance. The injured fled to the local Chabad house, and one was hospitalized.

Several Israelis sustained serious injuries: one suffered a jaw fracture requiring complex surgery, another had a severe head injury, a third lost consciousness after being beaten, and others had bleeding and swelling. The Israeli embassy helped arrange early flights home, though the jaw surgery patient remains hospitalized. Montenegro's Prime Minister Milojko Spajić issued an apology through the foreign ministry, expressing regret and promising that all perpetrators would be punished and tried. The parents of one victim described their children's trauma, saying they "felt like during the Holocaust" after being attacked simply for identifying as Israelis. They noted the youths had felt safe and welcomed during the rest of their vacation, but this incident overshadowed everything and left them feeling humiliated and in need of time to recover.