In Rouen, France, police fatally shot an Algerian man after he threw a Molotov cocktail into a synagogue and brandished a knife at officers.
The incident occurred on Friday when the man, previously denied a residency permit, climbed the synagogue and ignited the fire in the main prayer room. The Mayor of Rouen, Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, confirmed that no one else was injured in the incident in this northwestern city of the Normandy region.
At the scene, the police confronted the man who was armed with an iron bar and a kitchen knife on the synagogue roof. He was shot after he ignored commands to surrender. This violent act is part of a larger uptick in antisemitic incidents across Europe, fueled by the recent conflicts in the Middle East.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, expressing deep concern over the incident, underscored the government’s commitment to protecting the Jewish community. He visited the synagogue to show support following the attack. Rabbi Chmouel Lubecki, whose wife was in the building during the attack, recounted the terror of the event, noting the sound of gunshots and seeing smoke emerge from the building.
This surge in antisemitic violence has been anticipated by community leaders, but Rabbi Lubecki remarked that despite their preparedness, experiencing such an attac
