Israeli tourists, including children, targeted in series of anti-Jewish incidents in France and the Netherlands

A resort in southwestern France denied entry to a group of 150 Israeli children aged 8 to 16 despite a valid reservation, French media reported. The 52-year-old manager, whose name has not been released, allegedly justified his actions by citing “personal principle,” a remark believed to reference the ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.

The manager who was detained by local police now faces charges for “refusing service or conducting a transaction based on religious discrimination” and could potentially face a maximum sentence of three years in jail. The Israeli children were eventually safely relocated by police officers to another tourist location.

In the Netherlands, two Israeli tourists were violently assaulted at the De Kempervennen water park, the Jewish-Dutch news outlet Jonet reported. The Israeli visitors sustained injuries in the attack and were evacuated for treatment at a hospital in the Dutch city of Eindhoven. A few days earlier, anti-Israel activists illegally filmed Israeli tourists in the country.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry expressed concern after the latest antisemitic incident in the Netherlands, stating: “Israelis are again attacked in the Netherlands. We’re monitoring the case and addressing it through our Hague embassy.”

“Israel urges the Dutch government to act firmly, prevent further attacks on Israelis, identify the perpetrators and prosecute them,” the foreign ministry added.

In July, 50 Jewish French children were removed from a Spanish flight in what was described as an antisemitic incident. The airline rejected the accusation, claiming the children were being “noisy” on board, while the children said they had only been singing in Hebrew.

Anti-Israel and anti-Jewish incidents have increased dramatically in Western countries following the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel.

Last month, the Combat Antisemitism Movement reported that Austria has seen a surge in anti-Israel and antisemitic incidents, with several Israeli tourists recently turned away from restaurants and campsites, and protesters interrupting the renowned Salzburg Festival.

During one incident, six demonstrators wearing fake staff badges stormed the stage in the middle of Austrian Vice-Chancellor Andreas Babler’s opening address, shouting, “Blood on your hands!”

In November 2024, 10 Israeli soccer fans were brutally attacked by a local Muslim mob in Amsterdam in what was widely described as an antisemitic pogrom. The attack was condemned by European and Israeli leaders.