A Jewish family experienced a severe antisemitic attack last week in Vienna, Austria.
According to the reports, a driver for the Uber rideshare service who came to drive the family, which included a couple, their two children, aged 10 and 13, and a 75-year-old woman, to a birthday party began to hurl antisemitic slurs, forced the family out of the car, and even physically assaulted the father.
The driver launched his antisemitic tirade after he learned that some of the family members were from Israel. He called them "murderers" and "baby killers."
According Jewish Community of Vienna (IKG Wien)'s Antisemitism Reporting Center, the driver announced that he does not want to have "child killers" in his vehicle. He then stopped on the side of the road and forced the shocked family to exit the vehicle. Not satisfied with this, he exited the vehicle and continued the insults, which eventually led to an actual assault on the father of the family.
After the incident was reported to the Antisemitism Reporting Office, a staff member accompanied the affected individual to the police to file a formal complaint.
The family is now being continuously supported by the IKG Wien Antisemitism Reporting Office.
IKG Wien President Oscar Deutch condembed the attack and warned: "If decisive action is not taken against this, by politicians and the rule of law, as well as by civil society, by individual activists on the streets or in social media, in editorial offices and by cultural workers, by teachers and others in our society, then there will soon be no place left for Jews in Europe. No, that's not an exaggeration. We've reached the tip of the iceberg."
Uber stated that the company has launched an internal investigation and that the driver has been suspended immediately. At the same time, local authorities are examining whether criminal indictments for assault and incitement will be filed against him.