A 16-year-old boy of Palestinian origin was arrested in Orléans, France, after allegedly attacking and biting Rabbi Arié Engelberg in front of the rabbi’s son on Saturday afternoon. The attack, which took place near the city centre, has been widely condemned by French President Emmanuel Macron and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, reports Jewish News Syndicate.
The teenager reportedly approached the rabbi with a mobile phone, appearing to film him on Shabbat, which many Orthodox Jews consider deeply disrespectful. When the rabbi asked him to stop, the suspect allegedly punched him and bit him on the shoulder. The rabbi sustained minor injuries, including to the cheek, and later filed a police complaint.
Authorities arrested the suspect later that evening. He is now facing charges of “deliberate violence committed because of the victim’s real or supposed affiliation with a religion,” according to Orléans prosecutor Emmanuelle Bochenek-Puren.
The suspect has no prior criminal record.
President Emmanuel Macron responded to the attack on social media, stating: “The attack on Rabbi Arié Engelberg in Orléans shocks us all… Antisemitism is poisonous. We will not give in to silence or inaction.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar also expressed concern, writing: “The resurgence of antisemitism in France and across Europe is not only alarming—it is a wake-up call to European governments, leaders and civil society.”
The assault comes amid heightened concern over rising antisemitism in France and across Europe, particularly since the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, which triggered a surge in antisemitic incidents globally.
According to the Service for the Protection of the Jewish Community (SPCJ), France recorded 1,570 antisemitic acts in 2024, a 6.3% drop from 2023. However, 2023 itself saw an alarming 284% increase in antisemitic hate crimes compared to 2022, with three-quarters of cases occurring in the final quarter following the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
This incident has reinforced fears among Jewish communities in France, as antisemitic violence continues to emerge in both physical assaults and verbal abuse, often linked to tensions in the Middle East.
Photo credit:Bmazerolles via Wikimedia Commons
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