Lille, France – Swastikas and anti-Israeli graffiti were daubed on two synagogues in France, the latest anti-Semitic attacks in the country since the start of Israel’s offensive in Gaza.
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“Death to Israel” and “Long live Palestine” were scrawled in black paint along the synagogue wall in the eastern city of Mulhouse.
The synagogue’s rabbi, Elie Hayoun, has lodged a complaint at police on behalf of the Jewish Consistoire.
In the northern city of Lille, police said they had found a swastika painted near the door of the local synagogue, next to the letters ZOG — an acronym for “Zionist Occupation Government”.
The graffiti were discovered by a passer-by, along with stones thrown into the synagogue compound, according Jean-Claude Komar, a leader of the local Jewish community, who has filed a legal complaint.
He blamed recent pro-Palestinian demonstrations for whipping up anti-Semitic sentiment.
In a solemn appeal to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, CRIF, the umbrella representative body of Jewish organizations in France, asked him to send a “strong message” in order to stop violence’s against the Jewish community of France. “We want to leave in peace,” a CRIF statement said.
“When one ignominiously declares that Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza, one appeals to hatred against the Jews,” the Jewish group said.
President Sarkozy has vowed “zero tolerance” for hate violence and warned “there is no place in the republic for anti-Semites or Islamophobes.”
“Those who want to import to France these communal tensions will find the republican state in their path,” he said during a visit to Orleans in central France.
Lille’s Mayor, Martine Aubry, issued a statement condemning the graffiti attack on the synagogue as “intolerable” and said the city would back the Jewish community lawsuit.
“Whatever each person’s opinions, the Middle East conflict must not be exploited,” said Aubry, who is also the leader of the opposition Socialist Party.
zero tolerance for anti muslim crimes? the only ones who attack muslims are other muslims!
the french idiots allowed all those muslims into their country and they’re just now beginning to pay for it. give them a couple of decades, and their president, mahmoud suleiman ahmed bin mohammed jihad will be sworn in on a koran yelling all-hu akhbar
The media spends 80% of it’s time worrying about anti-Muslim crimes, even while Anti-Semitic crimes continue to not only occur 10 times more often, but are spiking as we speak.
There are no Jews bursting into Mosques or defacing Muslim schools, but who cares about that?
its time for jews to stand up to people like this this is how it started in europe in the 40’s now its happening again schools and shuls being marked. no one cared then &no one cares now we must stick together & not allow such things to happen no matter where. if it calls for patrols by police or people something must be done. we must show that we will not go silent we will yell &scream and fight &the ones who can’t yell& scream must pray day&night for if not it will only get worse gdforbid
“President Sarkozy has vowed “zero tolerance” for hate violence and warned “there is no place in the republic for anti-Semites or Islamophobes.”
Oh yes, because we’re clearly seeing mosques destroyed and Muslims getting attacked brutally by Jewish people all over Europe. Those poor people just can’t walk down the street.
Actually, here in London, Brits have ripped veils off Muslim women on the street, spat at them, and they routinely get called names as well. It’s stupid to commit these kinds of crimes. Here in Britain, someone tried to burn down a shul, and no top government official came out and condemned it, or mentioned zero tolerance. Sarkozy is right to connect these phenomena; they are both asinine.
the land of israel was never an arab country jewish people have lived continually on the land of israel for more than3,000years long before christianity was founded 2,000 years ago and certainly long before islam began this is what the world does not remember.no such thing as arab palestine in 1948 the arabs throw out a million jews out of israel penniless and homeless let us not forget also what happened in france in ww2 .so i think the jews have a right to there homeland.