(RepublicanReport.org) – The Hamas attack against Israel in October 2023, starting a war that has led to the deaths of over 30,000 people — mostly civilians — has sparked strong reactions all over the world. Protests have erupted, with some supporting Israel and others calling the war a genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. Recently, a man in France used the issue to justify his alleged crimes.
On April 23, a 32-year-old man was reportedly charged with using narcotics and making religiously motivated death threats. The suspect was also accused of kidnapping a Jewish woman he met in 2023 on a dating app, but the prosecutor’s office didn’t find enough evidence to support that charge at this time.
The victim also said the man raped her — that charge is still under investigation. French sources said the man was put under judicial supervision and released. The terms of his freedom pending trial include that he must not contact the victim or possess a weapon.
The suspect reportedly texted the victim’s ex-boyfriend, telling him he wanted to “avenge Palestine.” The 32-year-old also apparently contacted the woman’s mother, stating she would never see her daughter again and promising to “prostitute” her. Luckily, the woman was found alive at the suspect’s apartment on Avenue Chenard et Walcker in Gennevilliers, a suburb of Paris.
Hauts-de-Seine MP Elsa Faucillon called the incident an antisemitic act, while Hauts-de-Seine senator Pierre Ouzoulias said “antisemitism is a terrible poison.” National Rally Parliamentary leader Marine Le Pen said politicians need to do more to combat anti-Jewish rhetoric in the community. The unidentified man will be tried on June 21.
In January, multiple French organizations reported a disturbing uptick in antisemitic acts in France since October 2023 — a four-fold jump. About 60% of the 1,676 incidents in 2023 involved either physical violence, threats, or menacing gestures. The report said the spike was the worst on record from at least 2012.
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