France condemns antisemitic attack on Australian tourists

The French government has strongly condemned an antisemitic incident in a supermarket in Avignon involving an Australian Jewish couple and an Irish national. According to official statements, the Irish citizen violently confronted the tourists, directing grave antisemitic remarks and death threats toward them.

The confrontation reportedly escalated after a discussion regarding politics and the Middle East. Witnesses and reports indicate the aggressor made references to Adolf Hitler and issued explicit threats, including stating the victim should get out of his sight before he shot them. A video of the incident circulated widely on social media, garnering millions of views.

Aurore Bergé, the French minister in charge of the fight against discrimination, described the violence as ‘shocking and unacceptable.’ She noted that antisemitism has seen an unprecedented wave of incidents following the October 2023 attacks. The government reaffirmed its determination to combat hate speech and antisemitism in both public spaces and on social media.