A massive blaze broke out in the middle of the night at the Israeli Embassy in Paris, destroying the building. Israel’s Ambassador to France, Eli Bar-Navi, reports that no one was hurt in the midnight fire, and the small number of security personnel in the building at the time made it out safely. According to preliminary reports the blaze was accidental, although arson has not been ruled out. The Jewish community in France has experienced a major increase in anti-Semitism in the past several months.
A Foreign Affairs official reports that construction work was taking place in the embassy this week, possibly contributing to the blaze. Several local firefighters were injured trying to control the fire.
The fire broke out a day after a Mossad (Secret Service) official warned that al-Queda terrorists are planning attacks against Jewish targets around the world. The agent said that possible targets might include synagogues, as was the case in Djerba, Tunisia several weeks ago. In that incident, an al-Queda suicide bomber detonated his explosives outside the local synagogue, killing 21, mostly German tourists. Bin Laden spoke in 1998 of the need to \"make war against Christians, Jews, and supporters of the U.S.\"
A Foreign Affairs official reports that construction work was taking place in the embassy this week, possibly contributing to the blaze. Several local firefighters were injured trying to control the fire.
The fire broke out a day after a Mossad (Secret Service) official warned that al-Queda terrorists are planning attacks against Jewish targets around the world. The agent said that possible targets might include synagogues, as was the case in Djerba, Tunisia several weeks ago. In that incident, an al-Queda suicide bomber detonated his explosives outside the local synagogue, killing 21, mostly German tourists. Bin Laden spoke in 1998 of the need to \"make war against Christians, Jews, and supporters of the U.S.\"