French synagogue targeted in purported arson attack

French authorities are investigating a purported arson attack on a synagogue Saturday morning.

The incident took place in La Grande-Motte, a southern seaside town not far from Montpellier. Observant Jews typically go to synagogue on Saturday morning to celebrate the Sabbath.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on X that the incident was “clearly criminal” and that “all means are being mobilized to find the perpetrator.”

Darmanin is traveling to the synagogue later in the day, the ministry said. At the request of French President Emmanuel Macron, Darmanin has requested that prefects across France reinforce the already heightened security presence around Jewish institutions across the country, the ministry said.

Francois-Xavier Lauch, the prefect of the Herault department where La Grande-Motte is located, said in a statement on Saturday morning that he denounced the incident in “the strongest possible terms” and was en route to the scene.

Like much of Europe, France has seen a rise in anti-Jewish attacks since the October 7 terror attacks against Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza. Such incidents increased by 284% in France from 2022 to 2023, according to data from the French interior ministry.

Synagogues across France have become common targets. In May, French police shot dead an armed attacker who tried to start a fire at a synagogue in the northern French city of Rouen.