OAN’s Stephanie Stahl
12:55 PM – Friday, October 13, 2023
An Israeli man who is an employee of the Israeli Embassy in Beijing was attacked in front of a supermarket, according to Chinese police and the Israeli government.
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Video surfaced on social media of the 50-year-old victim attempting to fight off the assailant, who stabbed the victim multiple times, leaving bloodstains on the sidewalk. The victim has been described as a relative of an Israeli diplomat.
The Israeli government issued a statement, saying the victim has sought medical attention and is in “stable condition.”
Authorities in Beijing have arrested a suspect, a 53-year-old foreign man. There is no known motive for the attack and remains unclear whether it was motivated by the war between Israel and Hamas.
The stabbing incident unfolded while Muslims worldwide engaged in extensive street protests following Friday prayers.
These protests were triggered by the deadly attacks by Hamas into southern Israel the previous Saturday.
Since the war broke out, there has been an increase of antisemitic remarks made on Chinese social media. To deal with the hostile messages, the Israeli Embassy in Beijing is filtering comments on its Chinese social media account.
The U.S. ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that “we are shocked by today’s attack on an Israeli diplomat in Beijing” and added that it fully supports Israeli communities.
In response to the violence, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in China also posted on X, urging the public to be “aware” of their surroundings.
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By: OAN
