13-Year-Old Jewish Boy Attacked with Knife on Way to Paris Synagogue
A 13-year-old Jewish boy was ambushed by five attackers, held at knifepoint, and beaten while walking to a synagogue, marking the second targeted hate crime to rock the French capital in just one week.
A 13-year-old Jewish boy was brutally assaulted on Monday, February 9, 2026, at approximately 7:20 p.m. while walking to synagogue on Avenue de la Porte de la Chapelle in Paris’s 18th arrondissement.
The boy was holding his kippah in his hand (not wearing it on his head) when five young males surrounded him.They tripped him with a sweep kick (balayette), knocked him to the ground, punched him repeatedly in the face, and held a knife to his throat. While attacking him, they shouted antisemitic slurs including “sale juif” (“dirty Jew”). They demanded his jacket and forced him to empty his pockets, stealing his AirPods, coat/jacket, and sneakers.
This is the second antisemitic attack in Paris in less than a week.
French authorities have opened an investigation for theft with a weapon, group violence with a weapon, and antisemitic discrimination. One 18-year-old suspect was arrested at his home in the 18th arrondissement and placed in custody. The other four remain at large.