France boosts security at Jewish sites after deadly shooting in Washington

France's Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau on May 22 ordered increased surveillance at sites linked to the Jewish community across the country following a deadly shooting incident in Washington, DC.

The attack, in which a gunman shouted “Free Palestine” before shooting and killing two Israeli embassy staff members, has prompted heightened security concerns, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

Retailleau emphasized the need for visible and deterrent security measures. “Security measures must be visible and dissuasive,” he said in a message.

He instructed police to conduct regular patrols around synagogues, schools, shops, and cultural and media events tied to the Jewish community.

In addition, Retailleau requested “additional support” from military units involved in Operation Sentinelle, the ongoing deployment of troops tasked with protecting sensitive sites around France in the event of potential terrorist threats.

France is home to Europe’s largest Jewish community, and the shooting in Washington has intensified concerns about the safety of Jewish individuals worldwide. The victims, a young couple who were planning to marry, were killed after leaving an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee for young Jewish professionals and the Washington diplomatic community, according to Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter.

In response to the tragedy, President Emmanuel Macron condemned the shooting as an “anti-Semitic attack” and expressed his condolences. “My thoughts are with the families and loved ones of the victims,” Macron said.

The French Jewish community, one of the largest in the world, has been on high alert for months, grappling with a rising number of attacks and desecrations of Jewish memorials since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict on October 7, 2023. The recent shooting has further deepened the sense of vulnerability within the community.

By Vafa Guliyeva