A man was arrested by French police in Paris after having stabbed a Jew in the French capital earlier this week.
The 35-year-old victim was stabbed by a knife-wielding man while he was walking with his partner in the 14th arrondissement.
The attacker reportedly vociferated antisemitic slander after which he stabbed the victim six times in the back.
The assailant subsequently fled the crime scene only to be arrested at his home by the police, according to the French news outlet Le Parisien.
The victim was taken to the hospital for emergency medical care.
The public prosecutor’s office in Paris opened “an investigation into the offense of attempted murder on grounds of religion,” the paper further stated.
According to the French outlet, the attacker, who is also 35 years old, and the victim had been childhood friends and had recently renewed contact.
However, of late, the assailant had been targeting the victim with antisemitic slander and threatening him in what the victim dubbed an obsession over the Jews. This had prompted the victim to file a complaint against his erstwhile friend at the police.
Antisemitism on the rise in France
Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war following the October 7 massacre, antisemitism has surged worldwide.
A recent report published by the Diaspora Ministry, the World Zionist Organization, and the Jewish Agency shows a 1000% surge in antisemitic incidents in France since the beginning of the war.
In addition, out of the 46% of violent antisemitic incidents that occurred worldwide, 9% took place in France.