In a sign that anti-Semitic behavior is only increasing in Europe, Haaretz is reporting that a young Jewish woman was attacked yesterday by unidentified Middle Eastern men in a train station in Marseilles. One observer described the attack the “worst anti-Semitic incident in France since the murder of Ilan Halimi” over a year ago.

David Roche, a Jewish Agency representative in touch with French officials, said the 22-year-old woman was attacked in the afternoon in when arrived at the metro station in the La Rose district of Marseilles, a community which consists primarily of Jews and Muslims.

Witness reports contend the events transcribed as follows:

According to reports, two unidentified men of Middle Eastern appearance approached the woman and began abusing her. At some point, they began hitting her, and one report states that she was dragged by the hair. When they saw a Star of David on her neck, they lifted her shirt and drew a cross on her abdomen. One of the witnesses said it was a swastika.

Police are actively investigating the the young woman is having a difficult time coping with what has happened to her, and is finding it difficult to open up to authorities.

This is a sad and tragic incident, not just for the girl, who will have a long and difficult emotional recovery, but also for all of us. Essentially what it has done is show that there are still those living 65 years ago who harbor anti-Semitic thoughts and will freely and willingly persecute the Jewish people. What’s more, the article didn’t specifically mention what religion the two unidentified men were but it clearly sought to suggest Islam. This could be an important step in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, because up until now the conflict has been mostly contained to the Middle East, where it has been their problem. However, if this attack is a sign of the times to come and the conflict moves across borders and regions and onto the international stage, then it becomes everyone else’s problem, and it would be interesting to see how countries would respond then.

At any rate, my heart goes out to this poor young Jewish woman who was attacked, and I am shameful at the step backwards that humanity has taken.