(JTA) — The prime minister of Romania instructed law enforcement to investigate an apparent anti-Semitic assault on a non-Jewish journalist in Bucharest.
Mircea Marian, who works for the national daily newspaper Evenimentul Zilei, in an incident last week was pushed around by a man who referred to him as “jidan,” Romanian for “kike,” according to reports.
Romanian authorities said a criminal investigation for public assault was opened against the alleged assailant.
According to a statement by the MCA Romania, The Center for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism in Romania, Prime Minister Victor Ponta gave the order to have the incident probed.
In an interview after the incident, Marian said he is not Jewish but an Eastern Orthodox Christian.
Police believe the attacker was Mihai Voicu, 61, who described himself as a “revolutionary” who does not agree with the views expressed by Marian, according to a report on EVZ.ro, the online site of the Evenimentul Zilei daily.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
