An Israeli woman aged 62 and her 23-year-old daughter were violently attacked on the island of Koh Phangan after indicating that they came from Israel, in an assault described as antisemitic by the victims.
The two women, on holiday in Thailand, were seriously injured in an assault that took place on Tuesday near a waterfall. According to the mother’s account, a man on a motorbike first approached them politely before asking where they were from. When they replied Israel, the individual immediately mentioned the war in Gaza.
“He said he did not like what Israel was doing there. I replied that we were on holiday and did not wish to discuss it,” she recounted from her hospital bed.
A few moments later, the man is said to have returned and launched a brutal attack:
“He began to beat me savagely and bit my ear. My daughter tried to protect me and was struck as well. It felt like a terrorist attack. It was terrifying.”
The suspect, who holds a French passport, is said to have fled. He was later arrested after causing another violent incident in a nearby town, during which he notably assaulted police officers, according to the Israeli media outlet.
The two victims were taken by boat to Koh Samui for surgery. The mother underwent an operation on her ear and may require further surgery, while her daughter had surgery on her nose. Their lives are no longer in danger.
The mother expressed her shock at the violence of the attack in a country she had considered safe for Israelis.
“I would never have imagined that something like this could happen to me here in Thailand, where people are so welcoming towards Israelis,” she said.