Suspect arrested after assault on Jewish leader in Austria

BERLIN – Austrian authorities say a suspect has been arrested after an assault on the head of the Jewish community in Graz, the country’s second-biggest city.

Community leader Elie Rosen on Saturday afternoon saw a man throwing stones into the courtyard of a synagogue. Police have said that he spoke to the man, who then attacked him with a piece of wood — probably a baseball bat. Rosen was in his car by that point and wasn’t hurt; the assailant fled.

Interior Minister Karl Nehammer tweeted Sunday night that the suspected assailant had been arrested in Graz, without giving further details on the man.

The incident has drawn widespread condemnation. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said Saturday that he was “shaken” by the attack, pledging to do everything to bring the perpetrator to account quickly and to ensure the Jewish community’s security. The World Jewish Congress also denounced it.