Jewish family attacked by Uber driver in Austria

Vienna Uber driver harasses Jewish passengers before kicking them out of his vehicle and assaulting the father, calling the family “child killers.”

By World Israel News Staff

A Jewish family in the Austrian capital was harassed and the father assaulted by their Uber driver recently, the local Jewish community announced this week.

On Monday, the Jewish Religious Community (IKG) center representing Austrian Jews posted on its Facebook account a report regarding the incident last week, during which a family of five were ejected from an Uber driver’s car.

The family, including a mother, father, their two children – ages 10 and 13 – and a 75-year-old woman, had ordered a ride from the Uber ride-sharing service to take the five of them to a birthday party at a restaurant in Vienna.

According to the post, at one point during the ride, the Uber driver realized from overhearing the family’s conversation that some of the passengers were Israeli.

Upon learning this, the driver began haranguing the passengers, calling them “baby killers” and “murderers,” and declaring that he would not consent to driving them to their destination.

The driver pulled over shortly afterwards and demanded the family exit the vehicle.

After the passengers stepped out of the vehicle, the driver also exited the car and continued to verbally assault the family, and eventually physically assault the father.

The family has filed a criminal complaint against the driver, the post said.

Uber has temporarily suspended the driver and launched an internal probe into the incident, Yedioth Aharonoth reported.

“If decisive action is not taken against this, by politicians and the rule of law, as well as by civil society, by individual activists on the streets or in social media, in editorial offices and by cultural workers, by teachers and others in our society, then there will soon be no place left for Jews in Europe,” Oskar Deutsch, president of the Jewish Community of Vienna, wrote on Facebook.

“No, that’s not an exaggeration. We’ve reached the tip of the iceberg.”