Antisemitic incidents in France skyrocket by 75% in 2021

Antisemitic incidents in France have skyrocketed by 75% in 2021.

According to the French Jewish community’s main watchdog, the Jewish Community Security Service (SPCJ), 589 antisemitic hate crimes were recorded in 2020, including an increase of 36% in physical assaults. 

The use of knives and guns was also noticeably higher than in previous years, and the SPCJ further noted that there was an increasing phenomenon of attacks happening inside or just outside of the victims’ homes.

In almost a third of incidents, attackers argued that they had “anti-Israel” motivations. During the height of the flare-up in May 2021 between Israel and Hamas, the SPCJ documented an average of five antisemitic incidents a day.

Last year, the murderer of French Holocaust survivor Mireille Knoll was sentenced to life in prison.

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