An unknown assailant assaulted an unnamed 62-year-old man wearing a kippah as he left a synagogue on the eastern side of Paris.
France’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote on March 2 of the incident that took place the day before that there was “a new antisemitic attack that occurred in Paris” and that “everything is being done to apprehend the perpetrator of this unspeakable act.”
A witness saw the assault on Friday at around 5:30 p.m. and told police the assailant yelled an antisemitic insult, reportedly “dirty Jew,” before fleeing. The victim lost consciousness and was taken to the hospital.
“On my instructions, since yesterday the prefects have reinforced surveillance of places frequented by our Jewish compatriots who must not be victims of the tragedies taking place in the Middle East,” Darmanin wrote.
The Council of Jewish Institutions in France reported in January that antisemitic incidents in the country had quadrupled in 2023 (1,676) compared to 2022 (436.) Almost 60% of the incidents involved violence or verbal threats.
