Casablanca rabbi beaten in anti-Semitic attack

Rabbi Moshe Ohayon, leader of the Casablanca Jewish community in Morocco, was beaten over the weekend in retaliation for Operation Protective Edge by a local Muslim man in his 20s, Channel 2 reports.

The rabbi sustained blows to his ribs and head as well as a broken nose on Friday evening, while making his way to synagogue.

The perpetrator, who is well-known to local police, screamed as he punched the rabbi that the attack came in response to the Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.

Rabbi Ohayon cried out to passerby to intervene, but none stepped in.

Police arrived at the scene after the culprit fled, arresting a local vegetable store owner who witnessed the attack but did not get involved.

The local authorities are searching for the attacker, but have not yet located him.

Casablanca’s Jewish residents expressed concern about the increased anti-Semitism in light of the security situation in Israel, and called on the Moroccan police to boost security around the synagogues.

“Since the beginning of the recent events in the West Bank and Gaza, there is a rise in the incidents of harassment on Jews,” a Casablanca resident said. “It has become very scary to live here.”