French interior minister slams 'surge in antisemitism' after synagogue attack near Nîmes

The arson attack, which targeted the Beth Yaacov synagogue in La Grande-Motte on Saturday, left one police officer injured.

Transcript

00:00The French interior minister has condemned a rise in anti-Semitism following an arson

00:06attack on a synagogue in a seaside resort town in southern France on Saturday.

00:12One police officer was injured in the attack, and the suspect, identified by local press

00:17as a 33-year-old Algerian man, was also wounded in a shootout with police.

00:23Putting a fire on a synagogue where the rabbi and his family live, with an axe, is an anti-Semitic

00:31act. It must be denounced as such. Otherwise, we create suspicion and a confusion of genders,

00:36and I think the French expect, and in particular the Jewish community, that we put words on

00:39things. There is an increase in anti-Semitic acts today. The hatred of Jews, the hatred

00:44of Israel, affects children, women and French men who have the right to live the religion

00:49they want.

00:50In Paris, people gathered on Sunday to express solidarity against racism, anti-Semitism

00:56and all forms of discrimination. One protester voiced her anger and condemned all acts of

01:02violence.

01:20Prosecutors considered the attack as a terrorist act. Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war,

01:31the security around Jewish worship places in France have been strengthened.