Several Jewish landmarks in central Paris were defaced with green paint late Friday night, May 30, 2025, in a disturbing act of vandalism that has shaken the French Jewish community.

The Agoudas Hakehilos and Tournelles synagogues, along with the Shoah Memorial honoring French Holocaust victims, were all targeted.

The sites, located just blocks apart in the city’s historic Jewish quarter, were sprayed with green paint. A nearby kosher restaurant was also defaced. French police are investigating the incidents but have not identified any suspects or confirmed a motive. In previous acts of vandalism, red paint has been used as a form of protest against Israel amid ongoing conflict in Gaza.

However, no clear message accompanied the green paint attacks. The Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions (CRIF) issued a strong statement in response, saying: “Whatever the perpetrators and their motivations, these acts do not only target walls: they violently stigmatize French Jews, their memory, and their places of worship. These paint sprays are a stain on our republican values.” Israeli President Isaac Herzog also responded, noting his personal connection to one of the vandalized synagogues.

“I am appalled by the attack on Jewish institutions in Paris over Shabbat — including the synagogue in the Marais neighborhood which was built by my great-grandfather, Rabbi Joel Herzog,” he said. He urged French authorities to pursue the case with urgency. The mayor of Paris and other officials condemned the vandalism and pledged to identify and prosecute those responsible. Photo by Quinn Dombrowski from Berkeley, USA, Wikimedia commons.