A former head of Britain’s top Jewish security group, Community Security Trust, has revealed how he pinned down an antisemitic thug who had attacked him on a Eurostar train while shouting “Jews are evil”.

The ex-CST boss, whose name cannot be disclosed for security reasons, had been chatting to a business colleague about his Jewish roots on an Amsterdam-bound train when a man sitting behind them launched into a vile tirade, screaming: “There’s a reason why you’ve been thrown out of 94 countries” and “Hitler was right, Jews are evil”.

As the security expert stood up to see where the hostile comments were coming from, the thug launched himself at him and punched him in the face.

The target of the assault, who received self-defence training during his time at the CST, quickly overpowered his attacker and pinned him down on a table inside the crowded carriage.

He said he then punched the assailant “several times” and had to be pulled off him by his colleagues. The attacker returned to his seat.

But moments later, the thug, who is understood to have been drinking Prosecco, began hurling more antisemitic abuse.

The attacker’s embarrassed girlfriend tried in vain to calm him down and apologised for his behaviour. “I don’t know what’s got into him,” she told the victim.

Then the assailant, estimated to be in his 30s, again stood up and started making a hissing noise, a well-known form of antisemitic abuse that references the Nazi gas chambers.
Shortly afterward, Eurostar staff entered the carriage and offered the victim and his colleague seats elsewhere.

When the train arrived in Amsterdam, the former CST head and his attacker were interviewed by Dutch police.

The security expert told the JC: “They asked if I wanted to press charges and at the time, I told them I didn’t think I did want to but they gave me their contact details in case I change my mind.

“Three independent witnesses aboard the train have given me their phone numbers in case I decide to proceed.

“But what has really disappointed me is Eurostar’s response — or lack of it.

“I would have expected the company to have contacted me to apologise for the incident aboard one of their trains and to ask if I was ok, but I have heard nothing from them.

“I then wrote to them to ask if they had CCTV footage of the incident but they have now told me there is none. They have confirmed their staff wrote up a report of the incident and

I have asked for a copy, but so far nothing has been forthcoming.”
The victim said the incident happened on a weekend train late last month at around 6pm.