B'nai B'rith outraged by attacks on Jews in Paris

WASHINGTON, D.C.—B’nai B’rith International condemns in the harshest possible terms the outrageous anti-Semitic attacks on Jews in Paris and elsewhere in France last weekend.  

A mob of about 100 people descended on a Paris synagogue wearing the colors of Hamas and shouted “Death to Jews,” according to local witnesses. Hundreds of Jews were trapped inside as the rioters threw bricks at the building. Worshippers were only able to leave when police arrived.

Demonstrators in other parts of the city also attacked Jewish-owned stores. At one location, rioters displayed a model of the type of rocket Hamas terrorists are using to fire missiles into Israel.

“Anti-Semitic protesters are exploiting the current situation in the Middle East to wreak havoc in Paris,” B’nai B’rith International President Allan J. Jacobs said. “These developments are deeply unsettling.”

“These latest attacks on the French Jewish community remind us that our vigilance in protecting the global Jewish community cannot wane,” B’nai B’rith International Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin said.

B’nai B’rith International stands with the French Jewish community and we call on the French government to pursue the perpetrators of this attack. The government must ensure the safety and security of all French citizens.