More than half of the documented hate crimes targeting a religious group in France last year targeted Jews – who make up just 0.6 per cent of the population, according to official figures.
Out of 2,489 religiously motivated offences recorded in 2025, 1,320 of these were antisemitic in nature, according to a report from the French Interior Ministry.
The overall number of anti-religious hate crimes remained roughly the same as in 2024, though antisemitic incidents fell by 16 per cent.
Anti-Christian incidents rose nine per cent, account for 843 incidents while anti-Muslim cases shot up by 88% to 336 incidents.
The number of antisemitic incidents documented in 2025 was the third highest figure recorded since 2000, exceeded only by 2024, with 1,570 cases recorded, and 2023, with 1,676. In 2022, the year before the Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel and the onset of the war in Gaza, the interior ministry documented 436 antisemitic incidents.
The report was published on Friday, which was the 20th anniversary of the murder of Ilan Halimi, a French Jew who in 2006 was abducted, tortured and murdered by a gang of criminals who targeted their victim because he was Jewish.
President of France Emmanuel Macron planted an oak tree in the garden of the Elysée Palace in memory of Halimi on Friday at a commemoration ceremony. His gesture came after several trees planted in Halimi’s memory have been vandalised in recent years.
Accompanied by Anne-Laure Abitbol, Ilan Halimi’s sister, the president said: “When a Jew is in danger in the homeland, it is the homeland itself that is in danger.”
He added: “We cannot airbrush French Jews out of the republic’s family photo.”
Last year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Macron of “fuelling antisemitism” by turning against Israel, which has been the subject of an arms embargo and condemnations by France for Israel’s actions in Gaza. Macron has rejected the allegation.
On Friday, Macron acknowledged that antisemitism had become more pronounced in recent years.
“In 20 years, and despite the resolute efforts of our police officers, gendarmes, judges, teachers and elected officials, the antisemitic hydra has kept advancing,” he said.
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