On Saturday, French police arrested a man suspected of attacking a synagogue in the southern tourist town of La Grand-Motte, according to Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin. The minister confirmed on social media that the suspect, believed to have committed an arson attack on the synagogue, was taken into custody.
The suspect, a 33-year-old Algerian national, was apprehended late at night in Nîmes, about 50 kilometers away from the synagogue. When police attempted to arrest him, the man resisted by firing at them, leading to his injury and subsequent hospitalization, though his condition was not life-threatening. Two other individuals were also arrested in connection with the incident.
Footage from CCTV cameras showed the suspect in the early hours of Saturday morning, setting fire to several doors of the synagogue and two nearby vehicles. One of the cars contained a gas canister that exploded, resulting in injury to a police officer on the scene.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the attack, describing it as a “terrorist act,” and vowed that the authorities would ensure the perpetrator faced justice. The investigation was handed over to anti-terrorism units, which directed the operation that led to the suspect’s arrest.
Both Interior Minister Darmanin and Prime Minister Gabriel Attal visited La Grand-Motte on Saturday, where they met with members of the Jewish community and inspected the damaged synagogue.
Attal expressed his outrage at the antisemitic attack, noting that it deeply shocked and scandalized the nation. The attack comes amid a rise in assaults on Jewish institutions in France, following the October 7 raid by Hamas militants on Israel and the subsequent Israeli military response in Gaza.
