Wave of Antisemitic Attacks Rocks France, Sparks Outcry from Jewish Community

by Worthy News Washington D.C. Europe Staff

PARIS (Worthy News) – A disturbing surge in antisemitic attacks has swept across France in recent days, triggering alarm among Jewish communities and prompting renewed calls for urgent government action.

The latest series of incidents comes amid heightened security following last month’s antisemitic shooting in Washington, D.C., yet has failed to stem a wave of assaults, vandalism, and threats targeting Jews across the country.

On Friday, Rabbi Eli Lemel, a respected Jewish leader, was assaulted by three intoxicated individuals in Deauville, Normandy. The attack occurred in broad daylight, with the assailants allegedly punching Lemel in the stomach while hurling antisemitic slurs. Police have opened an investigation, though no arrests have yet been made.

“I was struck and verbally abused in a language I didn’t understand,” Lemel said in a post on X, adding that he was “deeply moved” by the outpouring of support and urging fellow Jews to find spiritual strength amid rising hostility.

The next day, in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, a 21-year-old man was arrested for climbing a synagogue, tearing down an Israeli flag, and attempting to set it ablaze. The suspect, who reportedly confessed while intoxicated, faces charges of religiously motivated vandalism and trespassing.

“We express our solidarity with the Jewish community directly targeted by these unacceptable acts,” said Sandrine Dos Santos, mayor of nearby Poissy. “No form of racism or rejection of others has a place in our society.”

Meanwhile, three Serbian nationals were detained near Antibes, suspected of defacing Jewish buildings with green paint in Paris, including the city’s Holocaust Memorial, three synagogues, and a Jewish restaurant. French officials are investigating potential foreign interference in the coordinated acts of vandalism.

On Monday, an elementary school in Lyon was set on fire and defaced with swastikas and antisemitic, pro-Palestinian graffiti. Though the school has no Jewish affiliation, the attack adds to a growing list of incidents targeting Jewish symbols and institutions. Authorities confirmed the fire was limited in damage but found antisemitic slogans and symbols scrawled in classrooms.

Yonathan Arfi, head of CRIF (Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France), condemned the attacks, blaming the radicalization of pro-Palestinian rhetoric.

“When a populist pro-Palestinian narrative is allowed to take hold, it is French Jews who ultimately pay the price,” Arfi posted on X. “The Nazification of Israel serves as fuel for crass antisemitism.”

In response to the rising violence, some prophecy teachers are pointing to the ancient words of Jeremiah as a possible explanation for these troubling developments. In Jeremiah 16:16, God declares, “Behold, I will send for many fishers… and after will I send for many hunters…”–a verse that has often been interpreted as referring to the different ways God would regather His people to the Land of Israel.

While past aliyah movements were fueled by Zionist passion or economic opportunity (the “fishers”), many believe the current wave of antisemitism in Europe represents the “hunters” — external pressures being used by God to drive the Jewish people back to their ancient homeland. As conditions worsen, some suggest, the biblical prophecy of Jewish return may once again be unfolding in real time.

France’s Interior Ministry has yet to issue a comprehensive response, but Jewish leaders are demanding immediate and decisive measures to counter what they describe as a dangerous escalation in antisemitic violence.

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