Israel flag
Fans display a national flag of Israel prior to a friendly soccer match between Israel's Maccabi Haifa and Germany's SC Paderborn in the Ausrian village of Leogang July 26, 2014. Maccabi Haifa played a friendly soccer match against Germany's SC Paderborn under heavy security measures on Saturday, after protesters against Israel's military offensive in Gaza ran onto the pitch and attacked Maccabi Haifa players at a friendly game against France's Lille in the Austrian town of Bischofshofen on Wednesday. REUTERS/Dominic Ebenbichler (AUSTRIA - Tags: SPORT SOCCER POLITICS CIVIL UNREST)

A 4-year-old boy was attacked in New Zealand for being Jewish. The boy was walking home from his pre-school in Mt Eden with his mother, brother and one of their friends when a man approached and hit the top of his head. The incident reportedly happened last week.

According to the New Zealand Herald, the man had laughed at the scene before leaving in a car with four other men. The attack was believed to be an anti-Semitic behaviour as the boy was wearing a yarmulke or a Jewish cap.

The attack has prompted an outburst from New Zealand's race relations commissioner Dame Susan Devoy who condemned the act as a "cowardly" hate crime against a young boy. She told media she was disgusted by the reports and said "we have failed" for Jewish Kiwi children may now be afraid to wear a head scarf or yarmulke because a someone might attack them.

Devoy explained that New Zealand's "excellent human rights record" is worthless if children are targeted for their ethnicity or religion. The Race Relations Commission revealed that there have been reported attacks on members of other religious groups. International events may have triggered the rise of hate crimes.

The commission revealed that Muslim Kiwis had called for calm after women and children complained of attacks while walking home from school. Devoy said the Human Rights Commission had met with Jewish Kiwis in August and issued a statement of support after the rise of anti-Semitism in the wake of the conflict in Gaza. After the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand reported a spike in Muslim-related attacks, the commission also issued a statement of support for Muslim Kiwis believed to be vulnerable targets in reaction to the terror campaign of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

Devoy warned "cowards and thugs" targeting children that their hate attacks have no place in New Zealand. She urged citizens to stand up for victims if they see abusive behaviour in their communities. She commended the police for doing a good job on working with ethnic minorities.