Assault on 10-year-old Jewish pupil to be addressed within school community

Following an antisemitic incident at a Luxembourg primary school, the Ministry of Education has assured the public it is taking the matter seriously.

The incident is reported to be the first physical antisemitic assault in a local primary school. According to Bernard Gottlieb, president of the non-profit association RIAL, a 10-year-old Jewish boy of Israeli citizenship was allegedly attacked by four classmates. Gottlieb stated that the victim was thrown to the ground, hit, bitten, and scratched, while also being called an "Israeli crybaby".

Gottlieb, who informed the Ministry of the event, expressed broader concerns in an interview with our colleagues from RTL Radio. He noted that antisemitism is becoming increasingly casual, with incidents now occurring that would have been "considered impossible a year ago", and cited a general deterioration of the climate in Luxembourg.

In response, the Ministry of Education has requested a full account from the school. Lex Folscheid, First Government Councillor at the Ministry, confirmed to RTL that the argument began harmlessly over a swing. "They are, after all, ten-year-old kids", Folscheid said, but he assured that the incident is being taken "very seriously".

He stressed the Ministry's commitment to ensuring school is a welcoming place for everyone, "regardless of their religion, their culture, their country of origin, and the language they speak". Folscheid explained that an educational approach will be taken to address the incident within the school community, in collaboration with the Centre for Political Education. He praised the centre for its "great know-how and the necessary sensitivity to discuss these issues of an open society".

The Ministry also plans to conduct follow-up discussions with all children involved, and psychological support has been offered. Folscheid added that the children who assaulted the boy have already apologised.