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France Boosts Security at Jewish Sites Amid Rising Antisemitism Following Washington Embassy Shooting
Tens of thousands of French people march in Paris to protest against antisemitism. Photo: Screenshot
France has increased security at Jewish sites nationwide following the antisemitic shooting in Washington, DC, this week as the country’s local Jewish community calls for stronger government action amid mounting fears of escalating violence.
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau ordered local law enforcement to “step up surveillance at sites linked to the Jewish community” after a gunman fatally shot two Israeli embassy staffers in the US capital on Wednesday night. The 30-year-old suspect who was charged with murdering the victims shouted “Free Palestine” as he was being taken into custody and said at the scene of the shooting, “I did it for Gaza,” according to court documents.
Shortly after the attack, prominent Jewish groups and leaders worldwide quickly decried the act of violence, expressing deep concern over the global rise in antisemitism. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot condemned the deadly assault as “an abhorrent act of antisemitic barbarity.”
On Thursday, Retailleau called for increased patrols around synagogues, as well as Jewish schools, shops, and events, with additional support from soldiers assigned to France’s domestic anti-terror unit. He also emphasized that security measures must be “visible and dissuasive.”
Local law enforcement has been stationed to secure the Israeli embassy in Paris, with increased patrols maintaining a strong presence around the area.
Ahead of the upcoming Jewish holidays, the French diplomat also called for “extreme vigilance” and urged local officials to closely monitor identity checks, bag inspections, and vehicle searches.
The Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF) — the main representative body of French Jews — welcomed the latest security measures and government response following the deadly shooting.
Since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, France has seen an alarming surge in antisemitic incidents, with 1,570 recorded last year, according to a report by CRIF.
In late May and early June, antisemitic acts rose by more than 140 percent, far surpassing the weekly average of slightly more than 30 incidents.
The report also found that 65.2 percent of antisemitic acts last year targeted individuals, with more than 10 percent of these offenses involving physical violence.
Following the antisemitic attack in Washington, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused European governments of spreading “toxic antisemitic incitement,” which he said contributed to the hostile climate that led to the fatal shooting.
“There is a direct line connecting antisemitic and anti-Israeli incitement to this murder,” the top Israeli diplomat said at a press conference, referring to the two Israeli embassy staffers killed on Wednesday night.
“This incitement is also done by leaders and officials of many countries and international organizations, especially from Europe,” Saar continued.
French authorities rejected such an accusation, calling it “outrageous and unjustified.”
“France has condemned, France condemns, and France will continue to condemn, always and unequivocally, any act of antisemitism,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said in a statement.
European governments have strongly criticized Israel’s defensive campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in Gaza, as well as its management of humanitarian aid to the enclave.
On Monday, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada issued a joint statement calling for a ceasefire and supporting the eventual establishment of a Palestinian state. The statement also accused Israel of causing starvation in Gaza — a claim that Israeli leaders have vehemently denied.
The three countries warned that “concrete measures” would be taken if the Israeli government does not end its renewed military offensive and significantly ease restrictions on humanitarian aid.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the leaders of France, the UK, and Canada, accusing them of rewarding terrorism with their threats and condemning their stance as being on “the wrong side of history.”
“By asking Israel to end a defensive war for our survival before Hamas terrorists on our border are destroyed, and by demanding a Palestinian state, the leaders in London, Ottawa, and Paris are offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on Oct. 7, while inviting more such atrocities,” the Israeli leader said in a statement, referring to the Hamas onslaught on Israel that started the current war.
“The war can end tomorrow if the remaining hostages are released, Hamas lays down its arms, its murderous leaders are exiled, and Gaza is demilitarized. No nation can be expected to accept anything less, and Israel certainly won’t,” the statement continued. “This is a war of civilization over barbarism. Israel will continue to defend itself by just means until total victory is achieved.”
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French Official Tells Paper Arab Countries Will Condemn Hamas, Trying to Get Palestinian Statehood Recognized
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot speaks to the media on the day he attends the European Union Foreign Ministers council in Brussels, Belgium, July 15, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Yves Herman
Arab countries will for the first time condemn Hamas and call for its disarmament early next week at a United Nations ministerial event in New York, a move meant to lure more European countries to recognize Palestinian statehood, France’s foreign minister said on Saturday.
In an exclusive interview with French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot said the move was part of a long-planned initiative between France and Saudi Arabia.
“For the first time, Arab countries will condemn Hamas and call for its disarmament, which will seal its definitive isolation. European countries will in turn confirm their intention to recognize the State of Palestine. Half of European countries have done so, all others are considering it,” Barrot told the JDD.
“The British Prime Minister has stated his intention to do so. Germany is considering it at a later stage. We will launch an appeal in New York for other countries to join us in order to set in motion an even more ambitious and demanding process that will culminate on September 21,” Barrot added.
On Thursday French President Emmanuel Macron announced France would formally recognize the state of Palestine at the U.N. General Assembly on September 21, drawing condemnation from the U.S. and Israel.
Earlier on Saturday Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni called it counterproductive to recognize a Palestinian state before it is established.
On Friday a German government spokesperson said there were no plans to recognize a Palestinian state in the short term.
At the upcoming United Nations event on Monday and Tuesday, France and Saudi Arabia plan to lay out a proposed post-war roadmap leading to a two-state solution covering security, reconstruction and governance, which will be compatible with the Abraham Accords negotiated by US President Trump, Barrot said.
The French minister added that in coming weeks the European Commission would take a tougher stance on Israel and demand a stop on building of any new settlement projects in the West Bank, and also an end to militarized policing of humanitarian aid distribution.
Barrot also called on fellow European countries to demand a removal of the financial blockade on the Palestinian authority so it can receive 2 billion euros he said it is owed.
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Jordan and UAE Drop Aid Into Gaza in First Airdrop in Months, Jordanian Source Says
An airplane drops humanitarian aid over Gaza as seen from northern Gaza Strip July 27, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Jordan and the United Arab Emirates parachuted 25 tons of aid into the Gaza Strip on Sunday in their first airdrop in months, a Jordanian official source said.
The official said the air drops were not a substitute for delivery by land.
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Trump Says Israel Will Have to Decide on Next Steps in Gaza, Pledges More Aid
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 8, 2025. Photo: Kevin Lamarque via Reuters Connect.
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday Israel would have to make a decision on next steps in Gaza, adding that he did not know what would happen after the collapse of ceasefire and hostage-release negotiations with the Hamas terrorist group.
Trump underscored the importance of securing the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, saying they had suddenly “hardened” up on the issue, and said the US would provide more aid to the war-torn Palestinian enclave.
“They don’t want to give them back, and so Israel is going to have to make a decision,” Trump told reporters at the start of a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at his golf property in Turnberry, Scotland.
“I know what I’d do, but I don’t think it’s appropriate that I say it. But Israel is going to have to make a decision,” he said, while also claiming, without evidence, that Hamas members were stealing food coming into Gaza and selling it.
Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both appeared on Friday to abandon Gaza ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, saying it had become clear that the Palestinian group did not want a deal.
Netanyahu said Israel was now mulling “alternative” options to achieve its goals of bringing its hostages home from Gaza and ending Hamas rule in the enclave.
Trump said he believed Hamas leaders would now be “hunted down,” telling reporters: “Hamas really didn’t want to make a deal. I think they want to die. And it’s very bad. And it got to be to a point where you’re going to have to finish the job.”
US TO PROVIDE MORE AID, TRUMP SAYS
Trump on Sunday said the US would provide more humanitarian aid to Gaza, where concerns are mounting about the worsening hunger, but wanted other countries to participate as well. He said he would discuss the issue with von der Leyen.
“We’re giving a lot of money, a lot of food, a lot of everything,” he said. “If we weren’t there, I think people would have starved, frankly. They would have starved, and it’s not like they’re eating well.”
He said he had spoken with Netanyahu and discussed a number of issues, including Iran. He said and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer would also discuss Israel when they meet at Trump’s golf property in Turnberry on Monday.
Trump also noted said the United States was not acknowledged for earlier food aid for Gaza.
“No other country gave anything,” he said, calling out European countries in particular. “It makes you feel a little bad when you do that and, you know, you have other countries not giving anything… Nobody gave but us. And nobody said, Gee, thank you very much. And it would be nice to have at least a thank you.”
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