Earlier this week, an Israeli entrepreneur and peace activist who attempted to show empathy to Arab migrants from Gaza at a demonstration in Venice was beset by a mob when they discovered he was Israeli.

Eyal Waldman lost his daughter and her fiancée at the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7, 2023, but he still forged ahead with his idealistic vision to create bridges of peace between Israelis and Arabs in Gaza, Judea and Samaria. To that end, he hired 20 Arabs from Gaza, donated $360,000 to a Gaza hospital and worked for years to develop partnerships between the two peoples.

During a visit to Italy, he attended an anti-Israel demonstration in Venice, which took place at the Venice Biennale, an international exhibition of art and architecture, with the express purpose of talking to the migrants there and expressing empathy and understanding.

As soon as he revealed his origins, the mob turned aggressive, screaming and telling him to leave. For his own safety, he had to be escorted away by security.