French police arrest three Serbians over vandalism of Jewish sites in Paris Investigate possible foreign involvement

French authorities have detained three Serbian nationals suspected of defacing several Jewish institutions in central Paris over the weekend. 

According to multiple reports in French media, the arrests come amid growing fears that the act may be linked to a broader foreign effort, possibly by Russia, to destabilise French society, Caliber.Az reports.

For instance, Le Figaro newspaper noted that investigators are examining whether the suspects carried out the vandalism under instructions from a foreign power, in what some see as reminiscent of earlier interference campaigns allegedly directed by Moscow in various European countries. While officials have yet to establish firm evidence, sources close to the inquiry say foreign involvement "cannot be ruled out."

The vandalism took place on the night of May 31 in the historic Marais district, a centre of Jewish life in Paris. Targets included the Synagogue de Tournelles, affiliated with the Union of Jewish Communities and serving both Ashkenazi and Sephardic worshippers, a Holocaust memorial, and a kosher restaurant. The attackers sprayed green paint on the sites, and the damage was discovered by police around 5:15 a.m. during a routine patrol.

Arthur Weil, mayor of central Paris, denounced the attack on social media, warning: “We know where such ‘militant’ acts begin, but not where they end.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog responded with outrage and a personal connection. “I was horrified by the assault on Jewish institutions in Paris during Shabbat—including the historic synagogue in the Marais district, founded by my great-grandfather, Rabbi Yoel Herzog,” he said.

President Herzog added that he had spoken with leaders of the CRIF (Conseil représentatif des institutions juives de France) and other representatives of the French Jewish community, urging French authorities to take swift and decisive action to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure the safety of Jews in France.

This is not the first such incident in recent months. In May 2024, red-painted handprints appeared on a memorial honoring Parisians who saved Jews from Nazi persecution during the German occupation from 1940 to 1944. French authorities later identified three Bulgarian nationals as the individuals behind the act.

Similarly, in October 2023, dozens of Stars of David were spray-painted on buildings across Paris and its suburbs. In that case, two Moldovan citizens were arrested, and investigators linked them to a Moldovan-Russian businessman suspected of orchestrating the operation.

French intelligence services are increasingly alert to signs of foreign manipulation behind such actions, particularly given the uptick in antisemitic attacks since the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault on southern Israel. The war in Gaza has contributed to escalating tensions and a surge in antisemitic acts across Europe, with France, home to one of the largest Jewish populations outside Israel, often at the centre.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also weighed in, criticising French President Emmanuel Macron and calling for more robust action against antisemitism in France.

By Tamilla Hasanova