Jewish Man Brutally Attacked For His Faith Sounds Alarm on a 'New Nazism' in France (Videos)

In a troubling event that has captured the attention of Paris, authorities arrested a man this Wednesday for his alleged involvement in a violent antisemitic assault last Friday, which resulted in severe injuries to Marco, a sixty-two year-old man. This attack, a grim testament to the enduring hatred against Jews, unfolded in the 20th arrondissement of Paris, an area now marred by this act of brutality.

Marco was violently targeted after leaving a synagogue. Wearing a kippah, he became the focus of an assailant whose identity has been suspiciously withheld but is known to law enforcement for antisemitism and attempted homicide. The attacker confronted Marco shouting vile insults and physical violence, motivated solely by Marco’s Jewish identity.

A witness at the scene reported hearing the assailant derogatorily address Marco as a “dirty Jew.” The confrontation escalated when the attacker questioned Marco’s involvement in conflicts far from France, asking, “Are you the one killing people in Gaza?” Marco recounted that after the initial confrontation, the man walked away only to return three minutes later to confront him again with the same accusation: “Are you the one who kills people in Gaza?”

To this, Marco responded, “I don’t kill anyone, I’ve never killed anyone.” Despite his response, the attacker brutally assaulted him. “He punched me and headbutted me, and then I lost consciousness,” Marco explains. He sustained severe injuries from the attack, including the majority of his teeth being broken, and required hospital treatment. Unfortunately, Marco does not remember the events that followed the onset of the assault.

This targeted assault has drawn condemnation from France’s Interior Minister, Gérald Darmanin, who labeled it an “unspeakable anti-Semitic attack.” In response to this targeted violence, and amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, Darmanin has called for increased protection for the Jewish community, emphasizing the need for heightened security around schools and places of worship.

Marco, the victim, shared his heartbreak and disillusionment in an interview with French media. His words painted a vivid picture of a man who no longer recognizes the France he grew up in, a country he believes has been marred by an explosion of hatred, threats, and violence towards Jews. “I’m fed up. I don’t feel like I’m in France,” Marco expressed a mix of despair and disbelief in his voice. He lamented the loss of a France that was once familiar, a place of inclusivity and respect, now overshadowed by “uncivilized and ignorant” people. He warns, “It’s a return of the Nazis. A new Nazi.”

Marco explains how many of his fellow French citizens live in fear. He explains, “I am sad for France that the French are not aware of what is happening. There are many ethnic French people who are also victims of attacks. They lower their heads; they are afraid.”

The intensity of his experience has left him contemplating leaving France, a decision made complex by practical concerns like the sale of his apartment.

Marco’s message to others living in fear is one of resilience: “Courage. We must beat them. We can’t let them do it. We are French above all.” Yet, his words and the violent attack he incurred are stark reminders of the challenges that lie ahead in combating the hatred of Jews.