Haredi Jew Brutally Attacked in France After Leaving Mikvah

A Charedi Jewish man was violently assaulted in a Paris suburb yesterday morning as he returned from a mikvah, in what community leaders are calling a horrifying act of antisemitic violence. The victim, identified as Gilles Cohen, recounted the unprovoked attack, which left him shaken and injured, highlighting a surge in anti-Jewish incidents across France amid global tensions, as reported by Behadrei Haredim.

Cohen, speaking to i24 News in French, described the assault occurring around 7:30 AM as he walked back from the ritual bath. “I took a punch to the face,” he said. “The attacker screamed at me for at least five minutes before fleeing.” Wearing a kippah, Cohen was easily identifiable as Jewish, a factor he believes triggered the assault. The assailant, described as likely of North African descent, struck from behind, landing multiple blows without speaking. “I couldn’t see him clearly; he attacked me from behind,” Cohen added.

The attack took place in the Île-de-France region, which includes Paris, though Cohen withheld the specific town to protect his local community from further risk. No arrests have been reported, and French authorities have not yet commented publicly on the incident. The assault aligns with a documented rise in antisemitic attacks in France, with the CRIF (Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions) reporting a 284% increase in such incidents in 2024 compared to the previous year, often linked to heightened Israel-Palestine tensions following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.

Social media reactions on X reflected outrage, with users calling the attack “despicable” and urging stronger protections for Jewish communities. The incident follows similar reports, such as a January 2025 assault on a Jewish teenager in Paris, also attributed to anti-Israel sentiment. Cohen’s decision to obscure his exact location underscores fears of reprisals against France’s 500,000-strong Jewish population, the largest in Europe.