Vandals Deface Holocaust Memorial, Synagogues, Kosher Restaurant in Paris

In a coordinated antisemitic attack in Paris, vandals defaced multiple Jewish sites overnight, including France's national Holocaust memorial, several synagogues in the historic Marais district and the 20th arrondissement, and a kosher restaurant, using green paint. The perpetrator was captured on surveillance footage dressed in black around 4:30 AM, and an open can of paint was found at the scene. French authorities, including Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, condemned the acts vehemently, with Hidalgo pledging to file a formal complaint and Retailleau ordering increased security at Jewish institutions ahead of the Shavuot holiday. The Paris prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into the hate-motivated damage, though no arrests have been made. Israeli President Isaac Herzog, whose great-grandfather founded one of the targeted synagogues, expressed shock and solidarity with the French Jewish community, calling for swift action against the perpetrators. This incident adds to a troubling rise in antisemitic violence in France since late 2023, including prior attacks on synagogues and assaults on Jewish individuals.