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Crif rally in Paris in support of hostages held by Hamas (January 19)
Photo: Ait Adjedjou Karim / Abaca / IMAGO / ABACAPRESS
According to one organization, the number of anti-Semitic acts in France quadrupled last year.
The Jewish umbrella organization Crif spoke on Wednesday of an "explosion" of anti-Jewish incidents after the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7th.
In the entire year of 2023, 1,676 anti-Semitic incidents were registered - around four times more than in 2022 with 436 incidents.
Such a high number has never been registered, Crif President Yonathan Arfi told the AFP news agency.
Almost 58 percent were threats or attacks directed against people, according to the Crif report.
This is distinguished from attacks on buildings.
Crif President: Inhibitions have fallen
Almost 13 percent of the incidents occurred in schools.
The organization cites figures from the French Interior Ministry and the SPCJ organization, which works to protect Jews in France.
"October 7th acted as a catalyst for hatred by activating latent anti-Semitism," said Crif President Arfi.
In addition, the inhibition thresholds for taking action have fallen.
"After October 7th, we could have had a compassionate effect, like a vaccination," Arfi said.
"The opposite was the case."
Since the beginning of the war: Islamophobic acts have also increased
In the wake of the Gaza war, an increase in anti-Semitic acts has been recorded in numerous countries.
At the same time, there was also an increase in Islamophobic acts.
Fighters from the Islamist Hamas killed around 1,200 people and kidnapped around 240 people as hostages in the Gaza Strip in an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7th.
In response, Israel began massive attacks on targets in the Gaza Strip.
According to Hamas' latest figures, which cannot be independently verified, at least 25,700 people have been killed in the Palestinian territory since the start of the Israeli offensive.
aeh/AFP