Kosher restaurants on two continents were vandalized in antisemitic incidents this weekend, one in Paris and several others in Los Angeles.
In Paris, French police have arrested a suspect in connection with an antisemitic attack on a kosher restaurant, BFMTV reported Sunday.
The owner of the “Mr. Shnitz” restaurant at 46 Rue Jules Guesde in Levallouis-Perret discovered Saturday morning that his establishment was slathered with a collection of antisemitic epithets.
Image glaçante d’une devanture taguée pour signaler que le commerçant est juif. Nous ne sommes pas en Allemagne dans les années 30, mais en 2023 à #Levallois. Parce que l’histoire peut bégayer, notre vigilance sur l’antisémitisme ne doit jamais faiblir. pic.twitter.com/e8aj12Jx9e
— Olivier Faure (@faureolivier) August 19, 2023
Seven times the word “thief” was scrawled on the front of the restaurant with black paint; four times, the word “Jew” was smeared there as well. The entire front of the restaurant was covered, according to BFMTV.
By 6:15 pm Saturday evening, the alleged perpetrator was arrested and taken into custody, according to the report.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said in a tweet that he was “deeply shocked” by the “unbearable inscriptions” and praised police for swiftly arresting the alleged perpetrator.
Levallois Mayor Agnes Pottier-Dumas expressed “extreme shock” by the antisemitic vandalism.
“We live peacefully in Levallois, and the Jewish community feels safe in our city,” the mayor told BFMTV on Saturday night, adding that the storefront would be cleaned once the restaurant manager returns from vacation.
Socialist Party First Secretary Olivier Faure denounced the vandalism, emphasizing that “because history can stutter, our vigilance on antisemitism must never weaken.”
In Los Angeles, the perpetrator has yet to be caught.
Thieves targeted several kosher restaurants in the city early Saturday morning, all of them in the 9300 – 9400 block of West Pico Boulevard, ABC7 News reported.
Thieves smashed the front windows of five restaurants, including one set for a grand opening on Monday. Cash registers were stolen from several as well.
Nagila Pizza, Fisherman’s Bowl, Shanghai Diamond Garden, SushiKo and Shalom Grill were all targeted by men described only as “wearing dark clothing,” according to the report.
No other details were available.
