Violent anti-Israeli attack in Greece stopped by a cross

An Arab Israeli man from Nazareth was violently attacked while traveling in Greece after reportedly being mistaken for a Jew.

Fahad Qubati (24) is now back in Israel being treated after suffering multiple injuries, particularly to his jaw and head, which have left him with difficulty speaking. According to reports, he is scheduled to undergo a number of surgeries at Baruch Padeh Medical Center in Poriya, near the city of Tiberias in the Galilee.

Qubati's mother Jacqueline believes Fahad narrowly escaped murder, as the assailants only stopped beating him after they were satisfied he was an Arab Christian. 

After being released from serving in Israel Defense Forces, Qubati was on vacation in Greece with family and friends. He was allegedly mistaken for being Jewish and violently attacked by three men after giving a ride to some Israeli tourists after a party on Tuesday night. The attackers allegedly presumed Qubati was traveling with the other Israeli tourists.

On Wednesday evening, Qubati was rushed back to Israel for hospital treatment.

Jacqueline spoke to the media about the attack. She told Ynet News: "Nothing could persuade them until a Tunisian citizen intervened and helped my son prove he was Arab. Only then did they apologize and flee. It could have ended in murder.” 

She said the Israelis passengers with Fahad had been playing Israeli music in the vehicle and when he returned to the location where he picked them up, three Greek residents blocked him.

"They asked him, 'Where are you from?' and he replied that he was from Israel. At that moment, they started beating him." Jacqueline said he tried to explain that he was Arab, but it was only when the Tunisian man intervened on his behalf, showing the assailants that he was wearing a cross, that they fled.

Qubati’s mother expressed her distress at the attack and the dangers for Israelis traveling overseas, saying: "I’m deeply saddened by this shocking incident. Thank God my son returned alive. It saddens me that the security situation endangers the lives of Israeli tourists abroad. I want the world to know what my son went through."

According to research conducted by the Anti-Defamation League in 2014, about 69% of the Greek population harbored antisemitic attitudes. The poll, which was the first to compare Greek attitudes with 100 other nations, found this was the highest level outside of the Middle East.

The ADL noted that recent measures have seen some success, with Greek governments and state institutions over the past five years showing increased awareness and willingness to address the problem.

According to the ADL, underlying causes for antisemitism include: “The neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party; the financial crisis and recent nationalist surges have fueled anti-Semitism in contemporary Greek society; and violent events in the Middle East often trigger spikes in anti-Semitism.”

Violent attacks on Jews and Israelis have soared across the globe since the Hamas Oct. 7 terror attack and the subsequent war with terror group.