Student ‘asked if he was Jewish’ and then attacked by three men in Dublin nightclub

A Jewish student was attacked by three men in a Dublin nightclub in a suspected antisemitic assault.

The student, a 23-year-old American male who was studying in Dublin, was asked if he was Jewish before being attacked by three people in the early hours of November 9.

Speaking to the Irish Times anonymously, he said he was followed by three men into the toilets.

Wearing a Magen David necklace, he was asked whether he was Jewish and was attacked after confirming that he was. 

“I took multiple punches to the back of the head and back of the torso,” he said, adding that he collapsed to the ground and stumbled out of the toilet before security intervened to stop the attack.

He added that as witness statements were being taken, one person, who he claimed had not witnessed the incident, said: “The Jews in Amsterdam – they got what they deserved.”

The incident occurred the day after fans of Israeli football team Maccabi Tel Aviv were hunted down and attacked in the Dutch capital following their fixture against local side Ajax.

The Dutch King apologised for the violence that had taken place – which some had described as being similar to a “pogrom” – and told Israel’s president Isaac Herzog at the time: “We failed the Jewish community of the Netherlands during World War II, and last night we failed again”.

Reports of the attack in Dublin have been circulating for some time.

In late November, Israel’s Ambassador to Ireland warned that “the Jewish community in Ireland are not feeling safe at the moment”.

Speaking to the Pat Kenny Show, Ambassador Dana Erlich said: “A few weeks ago, a Jewish student was attacked in a pub in the city centre in Dublin”.

She added: “The Jewish community (and) the Israeli community are not feeling safe – this is antisemitism.”

A spokesperson for the Garda told the JC: “Gardaí are investigating a reported assault incident that is alleged to have occurred at a commercial premises on Camden Street, Dublin 2 on Saturday 9th November 2024.

“Investigations into all the circumstances of this incident, including any hate related motivation, are ongoing and a Diversity Liaison Officer has been appointed to support the injured party.”