A 45-year-old intoxicated man assaulted a Jewish man in his 70s who was feeding stray cats on a street in the French department of Gard, local authorities reported on Friday.
According to eyewitness accounts, the attacker aggressively demanded one euro from the elderly man, who was wearing a kippah, had a white beard and adorned Jewish symbols. When the victim refused, the man allegedly responded, “Ah, you’re a Jew!” before striking him forcefully in the back.
After the man collapsed, the assailant reportedly kicked him repeatedly while shouting “dirty Jew” around 30 times. The victim was hospitalized for treatment.
The Gard public prosecutor said the attack was clearly antisemitic based on how the incident unfolded. The suspect, who is known to local police, was arrested the following day.
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France recorded 1,676 antisemitic incidents in 2023, slightly down from 1,570 the year before. However, the number of violent antisemitic assaults rose from 85 in 2023 to 106 in 2024. In October 2023 alone, there were 563 reported antisemitic incidents; in October 2024, the number fell to 157.
During a recent session of the Knesset’s Immigration and Absorption Committee, officials revealed that around 38% of France’s Jewish population — roughly 200,000 people — are considering making aliyah. An estimated 60,000 are eligible to make aliyah to Israel immediately. According to the Jewish Agency, requests to leave France for Israel have surged by about 400% since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.