'Especially today at 500 days it’s important to strengthen the community'
UFC fighter Natan Levy talks antisemitism and teaching Jewish Americans self-defense
Levy has been working with the organization StandStrong to hold self-defense seminars.
Israeli UFC fighter Natan Levy marked the 500th day of hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza by teaching a self-defense course.
"For years now, but especially since October 7th, antisemitism has been on the rise and lifting its nose again. Especially today at 500 days, it’s important to strengthen the community," Levy told Fox News Digital ahead of a seminar in New York.
Levy expressed his hope to see all the hostages return from Gaza, and he told Fox News Digital about getting the chance to train former Hamas hostage Andre Kozlov. The UFC fighter said it was "an honor to meet him and train him."
UFC fighter Natan Levy prepares to teach a self-defense seminar with StandStrong. (Fox News Digital)
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While antisemitism is on the rise, Levy told Fox News Digital that he doesn’t want Jews to see themselves as victims, and he wants the world to know that "Jews are not the ones to be messed with. We’re not your punching bag."
The seminars that Levy is teaching are geared towards the Jewish community, but he stresses that "anyone who feels like he’s being bullied, who feels like he’s being targeted" is welcomed.
In the seminar on Feb. 17, Levy taught a group of students of all ages at Renzo Gracie Rockland, a gym in New York. Levy showed students different techniques for defending themselves and corrected common rookie mistakes.
UFC fighter Natan Levy demonstrates a kick during a seminar in New York. (Fox News Digital)
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StandStrong was founded in 2020 after a statistic came out from the University of Illinois that 64% of Jewish students on campus denied being Jewish at some point. The organization focuses on teaching self-defense skills to give students the ability to "proudly stand up for who they are and what they believe."
Ted Schwartz, founder of StandStrong, looks to "unite Jewish and non-Jewish students to stand against hate and terror," the organization writes on its website.
Israeli UFC fighter Natan Levy teaches a seminar in New York. (Fox News Digital)
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When asked about how the organization partnered with Levy, StandStrong Executive Director Matt Travers told Fox News Digital that it happened "very organically" through social media. The mission "immediately resonated with" the UFC star.
"When he delivers a class there is an extra excitement, it is inspiring to see someone at the very elite level at what he does, taking time to give back to communities," Travers told Fox News Digital.
"He is not just an upstander against hatred, but someone young people can look up to see their culture or their identity represented at the highest level of martial arts. Showing that the Jewish community can be strong, proud and will defender ourselves when needed."
A self-defense class taught by UFC fighter Natan Levy. (Fox News Digital)
On the eve of the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ attacks on Israel, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) announced that from Oct. 7, 2023, to Sept. 24, 2024, it recorded the highest number of incidents since it started tracking the data in 1979.
Of the 10,000 antisemitic incidents it recorded, the ADL says there were more than 8,015 instances of verbal or written harassment and over 150 physical assaults.
Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.
