Israeli tourists beaten in Montenegro

Israeli tourists beaten in Montenegro resort after revealing nationality.

By World Israel News Staff

A group of Israeli tourists was attacked last week by more than 10 young men in the Montenegrin coastal resort of Budva after members of the group said they were from Israel, according to accounts given by the victims to Israeli media.

One man suffered a broken jaw during the assault, while another lost consciousness amid the beating, members of the group said. Several of the tourists reportedly experienced memory loss or difficulty recalling parts of the attack.

“More than 10 young men cursed at us, kicked us, and threw chairs at us,” one of the Israelis told Israel’s Kan public broadcaster.

The tourists, reportedly residents of communities near the Gaza border, said the violence occurred during the night between Saturday, July 11, and Sunday, July 12, on or near Budva’s beachfront promenade.

According to their account, the encounter began when several young men approached them and asked in English where they were from. After the tourists answered that they were Israeli, the group began insulting and attacking them.

The victims described the assault as unprovoked and motivated by their nationality. No publicly available video of the full confrontation has emerged, and it was not immediately clear whether Montenegrin police had formally classified the incident as a hate crime.

The injured tourists received medical treatment following the attack. One was diagnosed with a fractured jaw, while another fainted because of the severity of the blows, according to the group’s account.

The European Jewish Congress described the incident as an antisemitic assault and said it was one of two recent episodes involving Israeli visitors in Montenegro.

The Budva attack came days after Israeli tourists reported being verbally harassed in Plav, a northern Montenegrin town near the borders with Albania and Kosovo.

Video from that confrontation showed a man and woman challenging the tourists after hearing them speak Hebrew.

“Taking a break from genocide?” the man asked while filming them. “You shouldn’t be out traveling, stay in the place you call Israel.”

When members of the Israeli group attempted to end the encounter, the pair continued accusing them of responsibility for Israel’s military actions.

“I know your mother who kills children,” one of the harassers said, while the Israelis were also called “baby killers” and accused of committing “genocide.”

One tourist responded: “Keep walking, don’t talk to us. You don’t know me.”

The two incidents have raised concern among Israeli travelers because Montenegro has become an increasingly popular vacation destination, particularly along its Adriatic coast. Budva is one of the country’s principal tourist centers, known for its beaches, nightlife and fortified old town.

Direct flights between Israel and the Montenegrin coastal city of Tivat resumed in May, increasing access to Budva and nearby resorts.