At least 10 Jewish homes and businesses in Paris, along with a synagogue in the northern city of Rouen, have been defaced with antisemitic graffiti, according to police, who are investigating

antisemitism as a likely motive.

The wave of vandalism coincides with the 10th anniversary of the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks. These attacks included the massacre at the offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, which claimed 12 lives, and a subsequent antisemitic assault on the Hyper Cacher kosher supermarket, where five people were killed.

The affected buildings in the Paris suburbs of Vincennes, Saint-Mandé, and Fontenay-sous-Bois are located near the site of the Hyper Cacher attack. Police reported that the vandalism took place between Sunday and Monday. In addition, a rabbi’s residence and a synagogue in Rouen were also targeted, with swastikas and antisemitic messages scrawled on their walls.

Graffiti at the Rouen synagogue included swastikas and messages reading “Hitler player” and calling for Jewish people to be “gassed.” This same synagogue had previously been targeted by an attempted arson in May of the previous year and was also vandalized with graffiti during Hanukkah in December.

Natacha Ben Haïm, president of the Israelite Religious Association of Rouen, which manages the synagogue, confirmed that she had filed a lawsuit against the unknown perpetrators for “public incitement to hatred.”

“These attacks are occurring in the context of a troubling rise in antisemitism across France,” Ben Haïm said in an interview. “I cannot remain silent; people need to be aware of what is happening.”

France, home to Europe’s largest Jewish population, has seen a sharp increase in antisemitic incidents. In 2023, reported cases nearly quadrupled compared to the previous year, with 1,676 incidents recorded, according to the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF).

Speaking on French radio RTL, CRIF president Yonathan Arfi underscored the symbolic nature of the attack. “It’s doubly significant: first, because it occurred on the anniversary of the Hyper Cacher tragedy, and second, because it targeted a synagogue in Rouen that has already faced arson attempts.”

Investigations into the vandalism in Rouen and the Paris suburbs have been launched by local prosecutor’s offices.

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau condemned the incidents, emphasizing the concerning rise in antisemitism targeting the Jewish community. “Although the Jewish community makes up less than 1% of the population, it suffers 57% of all anti-religious attacks,” Retailleau told the media on Tuesday. Photo by Rama, Wikimedia commons.