French authorities are investigating a possible antisemitic incident after a man in his 40s threatened four individuals wearing kippahs near a synagogue and Jewish school in Neuilly-sur-Seine, just before Shabbat, JNS reported.
The suspect was arrested without resistance after pursuing one of the victims into a nearby perfume shop.
Prosecutors told AFP they are examining whether the attack was motivated by antisemitism. Neuilly-sur-Seine, a suburb known for its large Jewish population, has become a refuge for families seeking safety from antisemitic bullying.
Mayor Jean-Christophe Fromantin responded to the incident, stating: “We must remain alert and mobilize against the rise of antisemitism.”
The attack comes amid a troubling rise in antisemitic violence across France. According to the Jewish Community Protection Service (SPCJ), 106 physical assaults were recorded last year - the highest in over a decade. The National Bureau for Vigilance against Antisemitism (BNVCA) reports that most antisemitic incidents are perpetrated by individuals from Muslim-majority backgrounds.
Over the weekend, a Holocaust memorial in Lyon was defaced with the words “Free Gaza” etched into its marble.
This past week, twin brothers were arrested in connection with the desecration of a memorial olive tree planted in honor of Ilan Halimi, a young Jewish man brutally tortured and murdered in 2006.
The tree, planted in 2011 in the northern Paris suburb of Epinay-sur-Seine, was cut down earlier this month, sparking widespread outrage across France.