A chain adorned with a Star of David that the victim was wearing was ripped off.

”The anti-Semitic nature of the attack is beyond doubt,” the victim said. “They were talking about Jews while they were beating me.”

A 41-year-old Jewish man was violently attacked on Friday in the Brussels metro. According to his account, three individuals targeted him before striking him in the face and snatching his chain adorned with a Star of David.

The victim, only identified  by his first name David, explained that he was approached by one of the attackers, who allegedly asked him for directions to the central station. He believes this was a ploy to distract him. Shortly afterward, he claims he was attacked by three men, thrown to the ground, and beaten.

During the attack, his glasses were broken, his clothes damaged and the chain with the Star of David —a gift from his father dating back some thirty years—was ripped off. “They were talking about Jews while they were beating me,” the victim told the media. ”The anti-Semitic nature of the attack is beyond doubt,” he said.

He noted in particular that his attackers did not attempt to steal either his phone or his wallet, even though they were within reach, which, in his view, indicates that the primary motive targeted the religious symbol he was wearing. ”They just wanted the Start of David as a trophy,” he said.

After they fled, David tried to chase them at the  Yser metro station. But without his glasses—and being severely nearsighted—he was unable to catch up with them.

He has filed a report with the police. He hopes that footage from the metro company’s surveillance cameras will help identify the perpetrators of this violent attack.