“This Is Poland, Not Israel”: Man Wearing Airport Badge Attacks Charedim at Krakow Airport

Description

A group of Charedi travelers was attacked Sunday night at Krakow Airport in Poland while praying before boarding a flight to Israel, after a man wearing an airport worker badge confronted them, shouted antisemitic remarks, and pushed one of the passengers. Police were called to the scene and removed the man, taking his details before allowing the group to continue to their flight. According to witness testimony and video documentation, the confrontation erupted as the group was concluding a brief prayer near their gate. Passengers said they were standing off to the side and not disturbing other travelers when the man approached and began yelling. One passenger described the moment the encounter began: “We were praying and we were really near the end. We were off to the side and we weren’t bothering anyone.” Despite attempts to explain that the prayer was nearly finished, the man continued shouting and escalating the situation. Witnesses said the man repeatedly yelled “Don’t pray,” while behaving aggressively toward the group. Those present were initially unsure who he was, noting that he was wearing a badge associated with airport staff. “It’s not clear if he’s a policeman or just a local worker, but he pushed a guy who tried to calm things down,” one passenger said. The confrontation intensified when the man shouted directly at the group, “This is Poland, not Israel. What are you doing?” According to the testimony, he attempted to raise his hands and physically shoved one of the young men, an action also visible in the video circulating from the incident. Airport police were summoned shortly afterward. Officers arrived, removed the man from the area, and took his personal details. No further information was provided in the available reporting regarding whether formal charges were filed. The group, meanwhile, hurried to board their flight. “In the end police arrived, removed him and took his details, and we hurried to the flight back to Israel,” one of the passengers said. Among those present during the incident was Rabbi Simcha Krakowski, chairman of the Bnei Brak-based organization Beit Hatavshil, who was traveling with the group. No official statement from airport authorities or Polish police was cited in the reporting accompanying the video and eyewitness accounts.