Jewish Family Attacked in France

French authorities and Jewish groups say a Jewish family was beaten, tied up and robbed in what the government described as an intentionally anti-Semitic act.

The Interior Ministry denounced the violence and offered support for the family and the Jewish community, saying Sunday that racism and anti-Semitism “have no place in the French nation.”

Leading Jewish group CRIF said the family in Livry-Gargan, outside of Paris, was held in their home while assailants robbed it. In a statement, CRIF President Francis Kalifat urged the authorities to step up security and take stronger measures against perpetrators of such acts.

The European Jewish Congress (EJC) called for stronger measures to be taken by French authorities in the wake of the attack, noting that the attack occurred just a few days after it was reported that a former principal at a preparatory school for teenagers in Marseilles said that he regularly advised Jews not to attend his institution for fear of harassment by other students

“Unfortunately, we see these two incidents, and many others, as intertwined, where parts of French society are becoming increasingly anti-Semitic on the one hand, and this hate towards Jews is being accepted and tolerated by other parts,” Dr. Moshe Kantor, President of the EJC, said in a statement. “We call on French authorities to firmly root out societal Antisemitism and its passive acceptance.”

“We appreciated the important words of the French Government in trying to make Jews feel safe in their country,” Kantor continued. “However, it doesn’t appear that much has changed on the ground for French Jews who are still regularly attacked.”

French police said they are investigating the attack, which happened Friday, but would not provide details of the probe.