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Netanyahu condemns ‘waves of antisemitism’ by French rioters

A prominent Holocaust memorial in Paris was vandalised on Friday

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Israel is closely monitoring and deeply concerned about "waves of antisemitism sweeping France," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during Sunday's weekly Cabinet meeting.

"In recent days, we have witnessed criminal assaults against Jewish targets. We strongly condemn these attacks and support the French government in its fight against antisemitism," he added.

Mass chaos has engulfed France since the fatal police shooting of 17-year-old Nahel M., of Algerian origin, in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on Tuesday.

Rioters in areas with large Muslim populations have torched cars and looted shops, clashing with police and causing hundreds of injuries.

Vandals spray-painted “Police scum” on a monument in Nanterre commemorating the Holocaust and Jewish members of the French resistance to the Nazis.

Antisemitic chants have been heard during riots and Jewish businesses were ransacked in the Paris suburb of Sarcelles, dubbed “little Jerusalem” due to its large Jewish population.

There are fears of a repeat of the antisemitic violence in 2014, when Jewish-owned shops and synagogues were targeted during the seven-week war between Israel and Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip.

On Sunday, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin confirmed that 45,000 members of the security forces have been deployed to cities across France, including Paris, Lyon, Marseille and Grenoble.

A 38-year-old policeman has been charged with voluntary homicide over Nahel’s death and remains in custody.

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