Austrian authorities have arrested a 31-year-old Syrian refugee suspected of attacking a Jewish community leader last week as well as a synagogue in Graz, the country’s second city, Interior Minister Karl Nehammer announced.
The leader of Graz’s Jewish community, Elie Rosen, was assaulted by a man with a wooden object resembling a baseball bat as he tried to drive into the grounds on Saturday evening. He was able to get back in his car and avoid injury.
The incident followed two attacks on the synagogue last week in which windows were broken with chunks of concrete, and prompted condemnation by political leaders including Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and President Alexander Van der Bellen.
“The police in Graz were able to arrest the culprit,” the Interior Minister said, addding that the Syrian refugee had been in Austria since 2013 and had “fully confessed” his guilt during questioning.
“The investigators believe that the motive is Islamist,” the minister said.
Security measures at synagogues were being reinforced to prevent copycat attacks.