An Orthodox Jewish man was slapped at a hotel pool in Aventura, FL on August 22 after confronting an individual about their use of an antisemitic slur.
Local 10 News reported that video footage of the J.W. Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort and Spa’s Tidal Cove water park shows that the victim, Alain Altit, had confronted the alleged slapper, Marcos Rodriguez, after Rodriguez’s wife called a woman a “dirty Jew”; Altit’s wife, Tanya Cohen, told Local10 that the woman’s bathing suit was dripping on Rodriguez’s wife’s towel. “She was so apologetic,” Cohen said.
Rodriguez can then be seen slapping Altit in front of Cohen and their five children. Rodriguez told police that he slapped Altit because he had threatened him, though video evidence and witness accounts said otherwise, according to Local 10 News.
“The guy was definitely trying to pick a fight with a Jew,” Cohen told Local 10 News. “We are in 2021. This shouldn’t be happening anymore.”
Aventura Police Major Michael Bentolila told Local 10 News, “We take any threat to anyone seriously, especially if it has to do with race, ethnicity, anything along those lines… If our investigation leads us any further, there could be an enhanced hate crime.”
📍Aventura (N. Miami) Florida JW Marriott Turnberry Resort – an Orthodox Jewish man slapped across the face in front of his wife and 5 children, called “Dirty Jew”! pic.twitter.com/aN979EhhdI
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) August 24, 2021
Jewish groups condemned the slapping.
“We are deeply disturbed by the report of this incident in Aventura,” Anti-Defamation League Florida tweeted. “#Antisemitism should never be tolerated. Calling someone a ‘dirty Jew’ is reprehensible. We urge @AventuraPolice to continue to investigate this as a possible #hatecrime.”
We are deeply disturbed by the report of this incident in Aventura. #Antisemitism should never be tolerated. Calling someone a ‘dirty Jew’ is reprehensible. We urge @AventuraPolice to continue to investigate this as a possible #hatecrime. https://t.co/0emG4jQnST
— ADL Florida (@ADL_Florida) August 24, 2021
American Jewish Committee Director of Combating Antisemitism Holly Huffnagle also tweeted, “The unrelenting attacks against Jews across the U.S. cannot go unpunished.”
A Jewish man was slapped in the face and his wife called a "dirty Jew," while at the pool in Aventura, FL.
The unrelenting attacks against Jews across the U.S. cannot go unpunished.https://t.co/cQAm2D3x8M
— Holly Huffnagle (@HHuffnagleAJC) August 24, 2021
Stop Antisemitism Executive Director Liora Rez said in a statement to the Journal, “We are horrified hate crime charges were not filed against Marcos Rodriguez as this assault stemmed from an obscene ‘dirty Jew’ comment. This entire attack, both verbal and physical, was prejudicial in nature.”
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