Macron: We Will Tackle Anti-Semitism "Firmly"

French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed on Wednesday that France will firmly confront anti-Semitism, highlighting the rise in incidents of hatred against Jews since Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7 and the subsequent fighting in Gaza. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin stated earlier on Wednesday that France has witnessed 1,159 acts of anti-Semitism since October 7, which is more than three times the number recorded in 2022. Darmanin added that these acts include graffiti of swastikas or the Star of David on walls, as well as insults and assaults, amid a global surge in anti-Semitic actions. Macron expressed in a speech, "Anti-Semitism is re-emerging in words on the walls... the Republic will neither compromise nor show compassion in facing those who carry this hatred." France is home to the largest Jewish and Muslim communities in Europe, and conflicts in the Middle East can lead to heightened tensions there. French prosecutors opened an investigation last week into a video showing anti-Semitic chants by a group of youths. They are also investigating whether two Moldovan nationals who confessed to painting the Star of David on buildings in Paris did so at the behest of someone outside the country. Europe 1 reported last week that a person in Russia issued the directives and orchestrated these acts.