A physical altercation broke out Saturday between Noam Shimon Rosenberg, a 37-year-old Israeli, and Kent Scott Lee, a 54-year-old American, at the domestic departure area of Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila. According to an account shared by Israeli writer and activist Hen Mazzig on X, Lee directed antisemitic insults at Rosenberg, calling him a «baby killer» before stating «Too bad Hitler didn’t finish the job.» Video footage posted online shows the two men wrestling on the ground until a passerby and airport staff intervened to separate them. Both travelers were arrested following the incident, though the precise sequence of events remains disputed.
The Arab Times reported that the circumstances leading to the confrontation were not immediately clear, including whether formal complaints had been filed by either party. Rosenberg alleged that the remarks from Lee provoked the physical response, while Lee has countered that the Israeli initiated the altercation. The pair had both been scheduled to board a flight to Cebu when the dispute erupted on August 8. Philippine authorities have released few additional details about any charges or the ongoing investigation as of Sunday.
Hen Mazzig’s post of the video brought swift international attention to the event, with the platform amplifying the Israeli’s version of the exchange. The activist has frequently highlighted cases of antisemitism in public forums. Footage from the scene depicted airport personnel moving quickly to halt the fight before it caused further disruption in the busy terminal.
This episode surfaces against a backdrop of persistently high antisemitic activity worldwide. The Anti-Defamation League’s audit of antisemitic incidents placed the 2025 total in the United States at 6,274, the third-highest figure since the organization began tracking in 1979. That count reflected a 33 percent decline from the 2024 peak yet remained five times higher than levels recorded a decade earlier. Assaults rose 4 percent in 2025 according to the ADL data, with incidents involving deadly weapons increasing 39 percent.
The Manila airport serves as a major Southeast Asian hub, processing millions of international passengers each year. Incidents involving verbal harassment escalating into physical confrontations test security protocols at such facilities. No immediate statements were issued by airport management or Philippine police regarding enhanced measures in response to this specific case.
Rosenberg was traveling as a tourist while Lee, also bound for Cebu, disputed key elements of the narrative that circulated online. Social media responses to Mazzig’s post included numerous condemnations of the alleged remarks, though some users questioned the full context. The event marks one of several recent public confrontations tied to heightened sensitivities around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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