A Crif report published this Thursday warns of the explosion of anti-Semitic acts in France since the deadly Hamas offensive on October 7. An increase estimated at 1000%…
The specter of anti-Semitism has grown alarmingly in France since the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7. According to a report published by the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (Crif), anti-Semitic acts have experienced an unprecedented increase, multiplying tenfold in 2023, reaching a total of 1,676 incidents, compared to 436 in 2022. This meteoric increase, estimated 1000%, coincides with the Hamas attacks on October 7, followed by Israel’s response in the Gaza Strip. A very clear correlation between geopolitical events and the rise of hatred anti-Semitic on French territory.
The scale of this wave of anti-Semitism is particularly acute in the “private sphere”, including homes and workplaces, which represent a large third of incidents, compared to 20.4% on public roads. The figures reveal that more than half of the acts (57.8%) are direct attacks on people, such as physical violence or threatening remarks. The seriousness of the situation is underlined by a shocking incident in Fontaine (Isère), where a Jewish couple and their two-year-old child were victims of a ransacking of their home, marked by anti-Semitic inscriptions and Nazi symbols.
An increase of 1200% in schools
Nonna Mayer, research director at the CNRS and member of the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CNCDH), explains this resurgence by a recurring phenomenon observed since the second intifada in the early 2000s. According to her, each military intervention Israel in the Palestinian territories is leading to an increase in anti-Semitic acts, making French Jews scapegoats for Israel’s actions. This phenomenon is exacerbated by social networks and the media, particularly influencing psychologically fragile individuals.
The diversity of the profiles of the perpetrators of these acts is also highlighted. Me Oudy Bloch, lawyer for the European Jewish Organization, underlines the absence of a typical profile, observing a presence of young men sensitive to events in Palestine, influenced by their origins, their religion or their political positioning. Anti-Semitism has also infiltrated the educational environment, with a 1200% increase in acts in schools, middle schools and high schools, eliminating the idea that schools are a sanctuary against hatred.
This rise in anti-Semitism resulted in 600 arrests and 300 procedures launched in one month after October 7. In this difficult context, the Jewish community is looking for ways to persevere. In Grenoble, where between 4,000 and 5,000 Jews live, Hervé Gerbi, president of the local section of Crif, expresses cautious optimism, stressing that synagogues continue their religious practices, despite the need for police reinforcements.
A shared observation. A CNCDH survey reveals that 79% of French people consider that a vigorous fight against anti-Semitism is necessary.