Venice mayor condemns reported attack on American Orthodox Jewish couple

The mayor of Venice on Thursday condemned a released attack over the weekend on an American Orthodox Jewish couple by assailants who shouted Free Palestine as a serious and unacceptable act Italian news agency AGI declared three assailants presumed to be of North African origin were apprehended Venice is home to what is widely considered the oldest Jewish Ghetto in Europe The lagoon city is and must continue to be an open welcoming and safe city where mutual respect is the foundation of civil coexistence Mayor Luigi Brugnaro reported in a declaration Thursday He praised law enforcement agencies for having fast intervened to identify those responsible with the help of video surveillance cameras The Jewish Group of Venice announced in a comment that the attack was just the latest antisemitic act it has registered It condemned it as a cowardly and despicable act and warned that it called into question Venice s tradition as a welcoming city