In Normandy, an armed man shot lifeless after making an attempt to burn down a synagogue | EUROtoday

A synagogue focused by an assault, Friday May 17, in Rouen. Police officers killed a person armed with a knife and an iron bar who was making an attempt to set hearth to a synagogue in Rouen and was threatening them, introduced the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin.

“In Rouen, the national police officers neutralized early this morning an armed individual clearly wanting to set fire to the city's synagogue. I congratulate them for their responsiveness and their courage,” wrote Gérald Darmanin on X.

Around 6:45 a.m., the police “intervened on a report of smoke near the synagogue”, situated rue des Bons enfants within the historic middle of Rouen, a police supply detailed to AFP. “An individual set fire to the Rouen synagogue. He allegedly attacked the police and firefighters,” Rouen prosecutor Frédéric Teillet instructed AFP.

The man was armed with “a knife and an iron bar”, based on a supply near the case. “Then, he allegedly threatened a police officer with a knife and the latter used his weapon and the individual died,” mentioned the prosecutor.

It is an “anti-Semitic act which attacks a place sacred to the Republic” and which “affects us all deeply”, mentioned the minister throughout a press convention close to the Rouen synagogue. Gérald Darmanin additionally denounced “numerous acts of violence (…) unacceptable, despicable” in opposition to the Jews of France.

The suspect, focused by a “non-executable” OQTF, was wished

The creator of the fireplace, who threatened the police with “an extremely large knife”, was “a particularly dangerous, particularly violent individual”, he mentioned. However, he was not recognized, “neither in the intelligence files for radicalization, that is to say he was not on the S file, nor in the police services”, he mentioned.

This man, who had requested a residence allow for a “sick foreigner” in 2022, had his enchantment rejected “at the end of January” 2024, mentioned the minister, congratulating the prefect for this determination.

Initially, a supply near the case indicated that the person was topic to an “unenforceable” obligation to go away the territory (OQTF), resulting from an enchantment “initiated” earlier than the executive courts.

The man, of Algerian origin, “obviously with bad intentions on national territory”, had been included within the wished individuals file for “a few weeks”, based on Gérald Darmanin.

“If he had been arrested, we would have put this person in an administrative detention center for deportation to his country of origin,” he mentioned.

A primary investigation was opened for “arson” concentrating on a spot of worship, “intentional violence against people holding public authority entrusted to the DGPN,” the prosecution mentioned.

Another investigation was opened into the circumstances of the loss of life of the armed particular person for “intentional violence with weapons leading to death without intention of causing it”, entrusted to the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN).

According to the primary parts of the investigation, the suspect was topic to an obligation to go away the territory (OQTF), “non-enforceable”, indicated a supply near the case. The man had been topic to this measure for “less than a year”, nevertheless it couldn’t be executed as a result of the person “had initiated an appeal before the administrative courts”, mentioned this supply.

Asked by AFP, the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office signifies that it’s at the moment assessing whether or not it is going to take up the case.

“A climate of terror against the Jews of our country”

Many firefighters and law enforcement officials have been deployed on web site Friday morning, famous an AFP journalist. According to the mayor of Rouen, Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, the firefighters introduced the fireplace below management on Friday morning and there can be “no victims other than the armed individual”.

“Through this attack and this attempted fire on the Rouen synagogue, it is not only the Jewish community that is affected. It is the entire city of Rouen that is bruised and in shock,” reacted the mayor on X.

“Attempting to burn a synagogue is an attempt to intimidate all Jews. Once again, we want to impose a climate of terror on the Jews of our country. Combating anti-Semitism means defending the Republic,” mentioned on X the president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (Crif) Yonathan Arfi.

On April 14, Gérald Darmanin requested prefects to strengthen safety in entrance of Jewish locations of worship in addition to in entrance of spiritual faculties, the day after the assault carried out by Iran in opposition to Israel.

The army operations launched by the Jewish State in opposition to the Gaza Strip, which induced the loss of life of greater than 35,000 folks, in retaliation for the assault by Hamas fighters in opposition to Israel on October 7, have induced a pointy enhance in acts of anti-Semitism in France.

Read additionally🔴 Live: Israel earlier than the ICJ to reply to accusations of “genocide”

At the start of May, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal introduced that “366 anti-Semitic incidents” had been recorded within the first quarter of 2024, a rise of 300% in comparison with the primary three months of 2023.

Faced with this enhance, “not an act must go unpunished, not an anti-Semite must have peace of mind”, affirmed the pinnacle of presidency, promising to “demonstrate exemplary firmness in each act”.

Read additionallyFrance: anti-Semitic acts sharply rising since October

With AFP