Individual apprehended in assault on synagogue in the southern region of France
On a Saturday morning, as reported officially, two cars went up in flames in the Beth Yaacov Synagogue's courtyard in La Grande-Motte. Not only did the cars burn, but the synagogue's doors and a vehicle parked outside the building also caught fire. French President Emmanuel Macron labeled this incident as a "terrorist act."
As per sources, a man waving a Palestinian flag was spotted near the synagogue shortly after the blast on the Sabbath, the Jewish day of rest.
The French Anti-Terror Prosecutor's Office (Pnat) confirmed that a gas cylinder located in one of the burnt vehicles exploded, causing injury to a police officer. According to information from the prefecture, an additional four gas cylinders were kept in the courtyard, one of which also detonated.
During the Jewish holiday of Shabbat, which falls between Friday evening and Saturday evening, congregants typically attend synagogue services, particularly in the mornings on Saturday. However, at the time of the attack, there were only five individuals within the building, including the rabbi, all of whom emerged unscathed.
The number of anti-Semitic hate crimes in France has witnessed a substantial surge since the commencement of the conflict in Gaza, sparked by the extreme Islamic organization Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7. In the first half of the year, 887 such incidents were documented, compared to 304 in the same period of 2023.
The fire that engulfed the cars in the synagogue's courtyard caused significant damage to several vehicles in the area. Despite the incident, the car parked outside the synagogue managed to escape the flames unharmed.
