Israelis caught in violent French riots, Paris shul vandalized

Israelis visiting France found themselves in the middle of violent riots over the weekend, describing scenes of fear as student protests turned into mass pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Palestinian flags were seen throughout the crowds, and the atmosphere turned hostile, according to reports Sunday on Israel's N12.

Yifat Shalom, who had traveled from Israel to visit her 18-year-old daughter Zoe, a member of France's national rhythmic gymnastics team, was caught with her daughter in the center of the riots at the main Comedy Square in Montpellier. The two had tried to enter the area to eat, but found themselves in the middle of a volatile scene.

Shalom described the moments to N12: "This didn't feel like a routine student protest. I saw thousands of Palestinian flags, people with covered faces wearing keffiyehs, and a very charged atmosphere far from any legitimate civil demonstration. Police were almost nowhere to be seen, and there was a clear sense that no one was in control of what was happening."

When the two tried to bypass the crowd through an underground passage, loud explosions were heard, quickly turning into mass panic. "It was a noise that took me right back to Israel, to all the sirens, the fear and the explosions," Shalom said. "When I lifted my head I saw real fire in the heart of the square and flames spreading quickly toward us. Within seconds I was swallowed in a cloud of thick tear gas. The burning in my eyes and throat was unbearable."

"I came from Israel to spend a quiet Shabbos with her, and we found ourselves running for our lives through smoke and explosions," she added.

In Paris, severe clashes were also recorded. Overnight between Shabbos and Sunday, a shul in the city's 19th arrondissement was vandalized, with tables and equipment destroyed and thrown about. The aron kodesh was broken into, sifrei Torah were thrown, and talleisim and tefillin were cast aside in contempt. Documents and sefarim were scattered on the floor, though miraculously the sifrei Torah were not severely damaged.

Sacha Roitman, director of the Movement Against Antisemitism (CAM), responded sharply to the incident: "When chaos and violence take over the streets, shuls are the first to be hit. The desecration of the Paris shul is a clear warning sign, what begins against Jews never stops there."

Meanwhile, Israelis staying in the city reported fires, smashed storefronts and looting, as transport networks and the metro were shut down. Rafael Ben Simon, an Israeli who cut short his trip because of the events, described the difficult atmosphere on the streets of Paris: "They said there was a student protest but it was mainly a pro-Palestinian demonstration, nothing prepared me for this. I didn't feel in danger but it felt shocking and triggering, I wasn't afraid but I felt like a minority mainly," he told N12.

The protests in France, which began as a student demonstration over study conditions, turned this past Shabbos into a day of rage that brought hundreds of thousands into the streets. According to the French Interior Ministry, some 550,000 people took part in demonstrations across the country, while organizers estimated the number at around 800,000. The historic town hall building in Limoges was set on fire and collapsed, shops were looted in Paris, Bordeaux and Nice, and police were attacked with bricks and fireworks.

The protest, which initially focused on conditions in high schools, became openly identified with the far left, with dozens of Palestinian flags seen among participants. By Shabbos afternoon, authorities reported 272 arrests across France and dozens injured on both sides.