Since the deadly attack by Gaza-based terrorist group Hamas on Israel on 7 October, France has reported more than a thousand anti-Semitic incidents, according to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, according to NDTV.

He expressed his concern, stating that “the number of anti-Semitic acts has exploded.” In response to these acts, authorities have arrested 486 individuals, with 102 of them being foreigners.

Paris police chief Laurent Nunez also provided insights, reporting 257 anti-Semitic incidents in the Paris region alone, leading to 90 arrests. Notably, those arrested had diverse profiles, ranging from “young individuals making serious statements” to individuals associated with the pro-Palestinian cause who may have crossed the line.

These incidents have raised alarm in France, with Paris prosecutors launching an investigation into the defacement of numerous buildings around the city and its suburbs with Stars of David, which were seen as threats targeting the Jewish community.

Furthermore, in the city of Lyon, prosecutors suspect that anti-Semitism may have been a motive behind an attack on a young Jewish woman who was stabbed in her home. While the attack is being treated as attempted murder, the woman’s life is not in danger, and no arrests have been made.

It’s worth noting that France is home to a significant Jewish population, estimated at over 5 lakh making it the largest in Europe and the third-largest globally after Israel and the United States.