In some ways, summer 2026 offered Israelis and Jews a sense of relief that had been elusive since Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. For the first time, no hostages remained in Gaza and a ceasefire with Hamas brought a measure of calm after more than two years of war. While the possibility of renewed attacks from Iran remained a source of anxiety, the relative quiet allowed many Israelis to begin returning to familiar routines. According to Israeli tourism industry estimates, approximately 2.5 million Israelis traveled abroad during July and August.
However, for many Israelis and Jews, traveling abroad meant confronting a very different source of concern: hostility because of their national or religious identity. Across a wide range of countries and settings, Israelis and Jews experienced harassment, exclusion, threats and, in some cases, violence. They were targeted while walking through city centers, attending religious services, staying at hotels, performing onstage, and spending time with their families. Jewish and Israeli travelers, families, businesses and institutions were treated as stand-ins for the Israeli government or the war itself.
The same pattern of collective blame emerged online and through public discourse. Conspiracy theories blaming Jews, Israelis or "Zionists" for wildfires, earthquakes and migration crises spread throughout the summer, drawing on longstanding antisemitic ideas about Jewish power, control and disloyalty. These narratives were amplified across languages and platforms, and in some cases by prominent public figures and media outlets, helping to normalize and intensify hostility toward Jews and Israelis.
This report highlights several of the summer’s most significant incidents targeting Israelis and Jews outside Israel and the United States, as well as prominent anti-Israel and antisemitic conspiracy theories that circulated during the same period. Together, they show how hostility toward Israel directly fuels violence and discrimination against Jewish and Israeli people, families, businesses and institutions around the world.
Major Incidents Targeting Israelis and Jews
The incidents varied in form and severity, but they shared a troubling pattern: Israelis and Jews, particularly visibly Jewish individuals and Hebrew speakers, were singled out in public spaces, businesses, hotels and places associated with Jewish life because of their identity, nationality or perceived connection to Israel. Multiple reports also described Israeli and Jewish travelers having hotel reservations rejected or canceled, or receiving threatening messages from accommodation providers.
July 3, 2026, Barcelona, Spain: Seven French Jewish tourists leaving Shabbat services were pursued and surrounded for approximately 90 minutes. Members of the crowd spat at them and shouted, “Jews are not welcome in Barcelona.”
July 6, 2026, Vilnius, Lithuania: Israeli rabbis were spat on in downtown Vilnius. The attacker posted footage of the assault online and encouraged others to target Jews.
July 11, 2026, Budva, Montenegro: Israeli tourists were beaten, kicked and struck with chairs after identifying themselves as Israeli. One suffered a fractured jaw and another lost consciousness.
July 13, 2026, Northern Mongolia: Six Israeli tourists camping in a remote area were attacked after an assailant heard them speaking Hebrew. The man reportedly shouted “Heil Hitler” and told them to leave before charging at them with an axe. One tourist suffered a fractured jaw.
July 18, 2026, Grenoble, France: French Jewish DJ Barbara Butch was forced from the stage during the Cabaret Frappé music festival after protesters threw glass bottles during her performance. The disruption followed a campaign by activists targeting her for signing a petition against antisemitism.
Around August 5, 2026, Koh Phangan, Thailand: An Israeli mother and daughter were severely beaten. The mother was hospitalized with serious injuries.
Around August 11, 2026, Avignon area, France: An Irish man in his 30s verbally assaulted an Australian Jewish tourist couple in a French supermarket. He allegedly told the couple, "I'm sorry that Hitler didn't finish the job," and was filmed allegedly threatening to "put a f***ing bullet" in their heads. French police later arrested the suspect.
August 12, 2026, Koh Samui, Thailand: An Israeli family was denied entry to Samui Exotic Park after disclosing their nationality. A park representative allegedly attempted to headbutt the father, and the park posted an Israeli flag with a “no entry” symbol on social media.
Anti-Israel and Antisemitic Conspiracy Theories
The hostility directed at Israelis and Jews in physical spaces was reinforced by conspiracy theories that circulated online and in public discourse. These narratives repackaged longstanding antisemitic tropes in the language of contemporary political debate, casting Jews, Israelis or “Zionists” as secretly powerful, collectively culpable or inherently threatening.
Venezuela Earthquakes: Following the June 24 earthquakes, pro-government media outlets and political organizations claimed that Israel was using humanitarian relief to increase its influence in Venezuela. Some portrayed the Israeli delegation as a cover for Mossad agents and suggested that Israeli aid organizations were connected to the country’s intelligence apparatus.
Ceuta Migration Crisis: Following the mass border crossing on May 17 and 18, prominent Spanish figures promoted a conspiracy theory blaming Israel for engineering or exploiting the migration crisis in Ceuta, Spain. Actor Javier Bardem shared posts alleging that Israel benefited from a “weakened, destabilized Spain,” while Transport Minister Óscar Puente suggested that Israel was involved. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez later alleged that networks connected to Israel and Russia spread disinformation surrounding the crisis.
European Wildfires: During a wave of wildfires in July and August, social media posts falsely blamed Jews for fires across Norway, France and Spain. Nearly identical claims appeared in English, French and Spanish, while content concerning the fires in Norway reportedly received more than two million views.
Colombia Wildfires: Following wildfires in Colombia’s Tolima region in August, former Colombian President Gustavo Petro linked the fires to a supposed “Greater Israel” project, alleging that Israel sought land and natural resources in Colombia.
Taken together, these incidents and conspiracy theories reveal a broader pattern of hostility that crossed borders, settings and platforms during summer 2026. Israelis and Jews were targeted not for their actions, but for who they were or what others assumed they represented. From travelers pursued into hotels to Jewish businesses attacked and public figures promoting conspiratorial claims, the examples show how collective blame can turn political hostility into real-world harm. This disturbing phenomenon requires governments, institutions and civil society to reject collective blame and the disproportionate singling out of Israel, challenge antisemitic narratives and respond clearly when political rhetoric becomes exclusion, harassment or violence.