Ophélie Artaud 10:31 a.m., January 25, 2024

Since October 7 and the Hamas attack on Israel, tags, insults and physical violence against members of the Jewish community have multiplied in France.

Guest of Europe 1 Matin, Elie Korchia, president of the Central Israelite Consistory of France, reveals, exclusively, the alarming figures from the 2023 report on anti-Semitism.

Tags, violence, insults towards the Jewish community... Since October 7 and the Hamas terrorist attack against Israel, anti-Semitic acts have increased in France.

Guest of Europe 1 Matin, Elie Korchia, president of the Central Israelite Consistory of France, revealed, exclusively, the 2023 report on anti-Semitism, co-produced with the Ministry of the Interior.

The finding is alarming: 1,676 anti-Semitic acts were recorded in 2023, compared to 436 in 2022.

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“We have had an exponential trend in anti-Semitic acts since October 7: in three months, we had a 1,000% increase compared to the previous year,” explains Elie Korchia at the microphone of Europe 1. “In three months, we had in France what we had had the last three years on French territory", which corresponds in the year 2023 "to an increase of more than 300% on average compared to previous years".

“60% of anti-Semitic acts” target “people”

Especially since the majority of anti-Semitic acts target “people and not property,” warns Elie Korchia.

“60% of anti-Semitic acts are threats, insults but also physical violence,” explains the president of the Central Consistory of France.

Half of these anti-Semitic acts are also committed "in the private sphere, that is to say near one's home, his building".

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For Elie Korchia, if anti-Semitic acts have exploded since October 7, it is because "French Jews are direct collateral victims whenever things happen in the Middle East."

This is not the first time that violence against the Jewish community has increased based on national and international news, explains the president of the Central Consistory.

“Over the last ten years, we had also experienced [a similar situation] after the attack on the Ozar-Hatorah school in Toulouse in 2012”, where anti-Semitic acts had increased “by more than 200%”, and “after the Hypercacher terrorist attack in 2015", where violence jumped by "more than 300%".

“We must have collective awareness on the subject”

Another concern for Elie Korchia: the fact that these anti-Semitic acts are increasing at school.

“We realized that the school, which was a somewhat preserved universe, where there was a sanctuary of the Republic, is no longer so, and we see a very significant increase” in violence against the Jewish community .

“Children are insulted, molested, and not only in middle or high school, but also in primary school.”

For Elie Korchia, it is important to talk about this violence against the Jewish community, because "there is prevention work to be done, with regard to the school and our young people. Which is worrying today ", is that these acts are almost throughout the national territory, there is not a department that is spared", he warns.

Before adding: "we must have collective awareness on the subject. There are actions that are being taken, but I think that everyone must feel concerned. We cannot just say 'this is the 'Jewish affair'. When you are a French citizen, you cannot accept that France is a country where there is so much anti-Semitism on a daily basis,” he concludes on Europe 1.