(JTA) — A Jewish businessman was stabbed to death in Uruguay in what a Jewish umbrella group said could be an anti-Semitic attack.
David Fremd, 54, was stabbed 10 times while crossing a street Tuesday night in front of his office in the small town of Paysandu, police said. The alleged assailant reportedly yelled “Allahu Akbar” — “God is great” in Arabic.
Police arrested the alleged assailant, a 35-year-old man with a criminal record, and are investigating whether the attack was anti-Semitic in nature.
“The characteristics of the murder are presumably of an anti-Semitic attack, which would be unacceptable to our society and national coexistence,” the Israelite Central Committee, Uruguay’s Jewish umbrella group, said in a statement.
Fremd had a management position in the Israelite Central Committee. One of his three sons who came to the aid of his father was wounded in the attack.
“There is no evidence that the attack has something to do with an organized group, but is rather an isolated act,” Sergio Gorzy, president of the Israelite Central Committee, told the Subraydo newspaper.
Uruguay is home to some 12,000 Jews, most living in the capital city Montevideo.
“We haven’t felt a lot of anti-Semitism here, and that’s why this incident is very surprising to us,” said Uruguay’s chief rabbi, Ben-Tzion Spitz.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
