French rioters vandalize Paris synagogue, set Jewish-owned shops ablaze in Marseille

Jewish-owned shops in Marseille were set ablaze and a Paris synagogue was vandalized during nationwide riots in France over the weekend, according to the Jewish Community Protection Service. The protests, involving an estimated 800,000 people, were against rising living costs and school conditions. The SPCJ said there was no evidence of deliberate targeting of Jewish institutions.

Jewish-owned shops in Marseille were set ablaze and a synagogue in Paris was vandalized during widespread riots across France on Saturday and Sunday, according to the Jewish Community Protection Service (SPCJ). The riots, protesting the rising cost of living and conditions in schools, involved an estimated 800,000 people and resulted in some 2,000 shops vandalized or looted, with hundreds injured and thousands arrested. Palestinian flags and keffiyehs were a recurring motif in the protests. However, the SPCJ stated there was no evidence that Jewish institutions or businesses were deliberately targeted. The Ohalei Yaakov synagogue in Paris's 19th district was broken into overnight; prayer books, tefillin, and other objects were found scattered, and the rabbi's office was searched. A synagogue committee member said the incident appeared to be an attempted theft, with nothing believed to be missing.