On Friday, a man was fatally shot by police in northern France after attempting to set a synagogue ablaze in the city of Rouen and attacking officers who intervened.
According to Rouen’s mayor, Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, the fire was extinguished by firefighters, and no one else was injured.
The identity and motivations of the assailant remain unclear, but French authorities are treating the incident as a hate crime targeting the Jewish community.
An investigation into “religiously motivated arson” and assault has been launched by local prosecutors.
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The incident occurs amidst a surge in antisemitic incidents across France in recent months, coinciding with the conflict in Gaza.
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin condemned the attack, labeling it an “obvious antisemitic act.”
Darmanin revealed that the suspect, an Algerian national, had been ordered to leave the country but failed to comply.
He, therefore, reassured the Jewish community that they are protected and will not be threatened by such acts.
