Michael Douglas has revealed that his teen son Dylan was the victim of anti-Semitism on a family holiday last year . The 70-year-old actor found himself forced to confront his son 's abuser after the 14-year-old came to him in tears . In an Op-Ed piece in the Los Angeles Times Douglas explained how he told his child : 'Dylan , you just had your first taste of anti-Semitism . ' Scroll down for video . Targeted : Michael Douglas with son Dylan , daughter Carys and wife Catherine Zeta-Jones in December ; Dylan was targeted for wearing a Star Of David necklace on a family vacation earlier in the year . Targeted : Douglas wrote that his son Dylan was harassed at a hotel pool by a man who saw him wearing a Star of David necklace . The father and son pictured during a visit to Israel 's city of David last year . Michael explained that the teen was visibly upset when he came to his father in the family 's hotel room , following a visit to the hotel swimming pool in Southern Europe . Being the father of a teenager , Douglas asked if the boy had provoked the man 's anger by misbehaving , only to be met with his son 's tears . It was then that The Game star caught sight of his son 's Star of David necklace . He wrote : ' I had an awful realization of what might have caused the man 's outrage ... After calming him down , I went to the pool and asked the attendants to point out the man who had yelled at him . 'We talked . It was not a pleasant discussion . Afterward , I sat down with my son and said : `` Dylan , you just had your first taste of anti-Semitism . '' ' Defending his faith : Douglas explained that like his childhood , his son Dylan is growing up with a father who is Jewish , but a mother - the actor 's wife Catherine Zeta-Jones ( L ) - who is not . 'Like a disease ' The actor compared anti-Semitism to a disease that flares up for reasons such as bad economic times , demographics , and an irrational and misplaced fear of Israel . The Douglas family pictured above at Catherine Zeta-Jones ' investiture at Buckingham palace in 2011 . From left : Michael Douglas , daughter Carys , son Dylan and Zeta-Jones . His son had already faced his share of hardships , as Michael shared in 2010 that the family - wife Catherine Zeta-Jones and daughter Carys - would be moving from Bermuda to New York so that Dylan could attend a special school to attend to his needs . The Star of David is a symbol of the Jewish faith , made out of two overlapping triangles . The hexagram was never a uniquely Jewish symbol but became a widespread sign of the faith when it was chosen for the flag of the First Zionist Congress in 1897 and later the state of Israel . The Star of David is often worn by Jewish believers in the same way Christians wear necklaces with the cross . Michael was not raised in the Jewish faith for although his father Kirk Douglas is Jewish , his mother Diana is not . However his son 's growing interest in Judaism led Michael to explore his father 's faith later in life . He told of the first time he had to defend his faith , when a high school friend casually commented : 'all Jews cheat in business . ' 'Anti-Semitism , I 've seen , is like a disease that goes dormant , flaring up with the next political trigger , ' he continued . The Oscar winner cited bad economic times , demographics , and an irrational and misplaced fear of Israel as reasons for a resurgence in anti-Semitism . However , he is n't content to just accept such circumstances , commenting that he hopes his son will never have to teach his children about it the way he just had to . He issued a call to action for people to fight back against such feelings of hate , saying : 'So that is our challenge in 2015 , and all of us must take it up . ' 'Because if we confront anti-Semitism whenever we see it , if we combat it individually and as a society , and use whatever platform we have to denounce it , we can stop the spread of this madness . '
The actor described anti-Semitic attack against his 15-year-old son in op-ed . Family was on a vacation to southern Europe last summer when son Dylan Douglas was harassed by man in the hotel 's pool . His father believes he was targeted for wearing a Star of David necklace .