A 13-year-old Jewish teen was tripped, punched, and had a knife held to his throat on his way to a synagogue in central Paris on Monday, the Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed to The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.
The boy was wearing a kippah. He reported that he was walking to the synagogue when five people attacked him, took his jacket, and ordered him to empty his pockets. He said he was tripped, punched in the face, and had a knife held to his throat before his AirPods were stolen. The victim stated that his attackers made antisemitic remarks.
The boy was on a video call when the attack happened, and the person on the other end of the call was able to provide identifying details on one of the assailants.
An 18-year-old man was arrested by the police of the 18th arrondissement and is being detained.
The prosecutor’s office said it is investigating offenses of armed robbery and armed violence committed in a group and aggravated by discrimination.
Council of French Jewish Institutions responds to the attack
“How do you find the words to explain to a 13-year-old child that he is being attacked because he is Jewish?” asked Yonathan Arfi, president of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions, on X/Twitter. “Who will be able to restore his confidence in the future tomorrow?
“Hatred of Jews is never acceptable, but it is even less so when it targets children,” he added.