Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed “deep concern” over what he called “manifestations and waves of antisemitism washing over France” as thousands of rioters tear apart the country.
During his opening remarks on Sunday at the weekly government cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said Israel is “witnessing attacks against Jewish targets and we condemn these attacks. We support the French government in its fight against the scourge of antisemitism.”
Rioters Desecrate Holocaust Memorial
French rioters desecrated a Holocaust memorial in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on Friday night as the violence escalated following the death of a 17-year-old Arab teen identified only as “Nahel” earlier in the week. The teen was shot and killed by police on Tuesday after attempting to flee during a traffic stop.
It is truly horrifying to witness the Memorial to the Martyrs of the Deportation in Nanterre being vandalized.
This shameful act of disrespect for the memory of the victims of the Holocaust must be unequivocally condemned and those responsible held accountable. pic.twitter.com/B0HT3L9TiF
— European Jewish Congress (@eurojewcong) June 29, 2023
The rioters defaced the Memorial to the Martyrs of the Deportation and the Resistance, which commemorates members of the French resistance as well as the 200,000 victims who were deported to Nazi concentration and death camps during World War II.
‘Intifada in the Heart of France’
French-Israeli lawmaker Meyer Habib, a member of the French Parliament, said on Saturday that the roots of the violence are taking place primarily in areas where antisemitism and other hatred is rampant.
“This looks like an intifada in the heart of France,” Habib warned. “France is on fire, with 249 police officers injured. Nothing, not even the dramatic death of a young man, justifies this chaos.
“In these lost areas of the republic, for years there has been an undisturbed growth of hatred of France, white people and Jews,” the lawmaker noted.
“Sarah Halimi (murdered in her home in 2017 by an Arab fanatic yelling ‘Allahu Akbar’ while attacking her) was beaten for 20 minutes before the eyes of 20 police officers,” he pointed out. “Her murderer is practically free, and no one rioted or burned anything.”
Macron Cancels Trip to Germany as Violence Continues
More than 1,300 people were arrested this weekend alone as cars and buildings were torched and stores looted in the week-long wave of rioting. A total of some 2,400 persons were arrested by Sunday morning.
The riots which began in Paris have spread to other cities around France, including Marseille, Grenoble, and Lyon.
French President Emmanuel Macron canceled his state visit to Germany on Saturday, as the funeral was held for the Arab teen and riots escalated nationwide despite the presence of some 45,000 police on the streets.
