A suspect was arrested for involvement in a Friday antisemitic attack on an Utrecht rabbi on Sunday, the Netherlands Police announced.
The Dutch police said that an investigation into an assault on 66-year-old Rabbi Aryeh Leib Heintz at the Overvecht Shopping Center revealed the identity of a 40-year-old suspect.
"This man then reported himself to the police this morning and was subsequently arrested," the authorities said in a statement, but also told The Jerusalem Post that "we are still investigating this incident."
Police are still looking for witnesses to come forward. According to The left-wing BIJ1 political party, two women of Moroccan extraction had intervened to help the rabbi.
'Why are you dressed like a Jew?'
Heintz said that the suspect had asked him “Why are you dressed like a Jew?” before hitting him on the head.
The rabbi reportedly fled into an Action supermarket but was pursued. A Friday post shared on Heintz’s Facebook page said that when the rabbi attempted to take a picture of his assailant, he was ejected from the store because photography was against store policy.
Action supermarket has still not responded to a Post request for comment.
The Utrecht City Council and local political parties expressed support for Heintz in a Saturday statement.
“There is no place in Utrecht for hatred because of who someone is or what someone believes,” said the city council. “Our city is a place of freedom, safety, and respect.”
The European Jewish Congress said Saturday that the situation in Europe and around the world was growing ever more dire, and that “No one should ever have to live in fear because of their religion.”