Skip To Content
JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT.
Breaking News

After Milan Stabbing, Jewish Sites in Italy Get More Security

Following the stabbing of a Hasidic Jew in Milan Thursday night, security at Jewish and Israeli sites throughout Italy is being bolstered.

Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano met with the head of Italy’s Jewish communities to discuss what the ministry said was “the commitment of law enforcement agencies to guarantee security for Jewish institutions and the potential sites that those who foment hatred might want to target,” The Associated Press reported.

According to the AP, Milan police said there was no evidence so far to indicate a hate crime and sought to play down the attack. However, Milan’s provincial security committee decided to intensify security around Jewish and Israeli targets to the highest levels.

The stabbing victim, Natan Graf, is the son-in-law of Chabad emissary Rabbi Levi Hezkia and is, according to the AP, an Israeli citizen. Graf, 40, sustained serious injuries, including to his face, in the attack, but none is life-threatening.

Graff was wearing a yarmulke at the time of the attack, which occurred outside a kosher pizzeria in the heart of Milan’s Jewish neighborhood. He is recovering at Milan’s Niguarda hospital.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

We’ve set a goal to raise $325,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

Republish This Story

Please read before republishing

We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free, unless it originated with JTA, Haaretz or another publication (as indicated on the article) and as long as you follow our guidelines. You must credit the Forward, retain our pixel and preserve our canonical link in Google search.  See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs.

To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. Please email us at [email protected], subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up.

We don't support Internet Explorer

Please use Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge to view this site.