AFP: Jewish school vandalised in Paris

The Paris public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation after a Jewish school in the French capital was targeted in an act of vandalism, Agence France-Presse reported, citing a law enforcement source.

The attack occurred on the evening of 31 January at the Beth Loubavitch school in Paris’s 20th arrondissement. Several windows were smashed, while a surveillance camera and a commemorative plaque were torn from the building’s façade.

Prosecutors said the case is being investigated as damage to property committed by an organised group on anti-religious grounds. Police in the district have launched a manhunt to identify and apprehend those responsible.

The incident comes amid continued concerns over antisemitism in France. According to France’s Interior Ministry, 1,570 antisemitic acts were recorded in the country in 2024. In 2025, the figure stood at 1,163, according to preliminary data. In November last year, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that 60% of crimes committed on religious grounds in France are driven by antisemitism. He also assured the Jewish community that the authorities are determined to combat antisemitism resolutely.

By Vugar Khalilov