i24NEWS Crew Attacked While Filming Antisemitism Report in Northern Ireland

Last week in Belfast, Northern Ireland, an i24NEWS team was violently attacked while filming a report on rising antisemitism in Europe. Reporter Yonatan Rohe and cameraman Nadav Abas were interviewing people in a bar area when a man, realizing the crew was Israeli, became hostile. The assailant initially tried to seize their equipment and then disrupted filming with obscene gestures. When security personnel from nearby businesses were called, the attacker escalated by throwing a large beer glass at Abas, causing a bleeding head wound. Despite the injury, Abas did not require further medical treatment, and the team left the scene immediately.

Following the incident, Rohe and Abas safely returned to Israel. The attack was captured on the crew’s cameras, documenting the violent encounter. This report from Northern Ireland is part of Rohe’s third documentary series on antisemitism, following previous projects in Spain and New York, which have aired on i24NEWS’s main and international channels. The upcoming broadcast aims to shed light on the complex challenges Israeli journalists face when covering antisemitism in Europe.

The Belfast attack reflects a broader surge in antisemitic incidents across Europe, aligning with a recent global antisemitism monitoring report that noted a 340 percent increase in such events worldwide. This incident underscores the heightened risks journalists encounter while reporting on this sensitive and escalating issue.