French police shot dead a man as he tried to set fire to a synagogue – JURIST

French police on Friday shot dead a man who tried to set fire to a synagogue in an apparent anti-Semitic attack.

Rouen Mayor Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol gave details of the incident, saying that a person tried to enter the synagogue by climbing a trash can to get to the first floor. The person allegedly threw a burning object, a type of “Molotov cocktail,” at the synagogue and tried to start a fire, but it was controlled. In addition to trying to start the fire, this person also attempted to attack a police officer, which resulted in him being shot. However, the identity of the person who carried out this attack remains unknown.

In addition, Mayor Nicolas expressed his support for the Jewish community, emphasizing that the attack was not only against them, but against the entire community. He described it as an attack on France in general and stressed that anti-Semitism had no place in his republic.

Other authorities also commented on the matter, such as the Interior Ministry Gerald Darmanin, who stated via X (formerly Twitter) that on Monday he would award the police and fire department heroes who managed to bring the fire under control and also to neutralize perpetrators. In addition to him, the president of the Jewish community in Rouen, Natacha Ben Haim, also pointed out that what happened was catastrophic.

France is not the only country facing anti-Semitic attacks, it has become a global problem. Last year, UNESCO and the European Union Permanent Delegation to UNESCO held a debate in November on the important role of education in addressing the recent rise in global anti-Semitism.