A religious young Jewish man was attacked on Saturday, with the perpetrators threatening to run him over with their car, stealing personal items, and yelling “I’m going to massacre you, get on your knees, you dirty Jew.”

The Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF) in Marseille condemned the attack, calling it “intolerable violence.”
According to CRIF Marseille, the incident unfolded on a Saturday morning as he walked towards a local synagogue. The attackers allegedly accelerated towards him with their vehicle on two occasions.

Details of the violent confrontation

During the confrontation, they hurled threats and insults, including phrases such as, “I’m going to massacre you, get on your knees, you dirty Jew. You [member of a] dirty race, I’m going to kill you.”
A demonstrator holds a sign that reads 'no to antisemitism', during a protest against antisemitism and to commemorate the 2012 Toulouse attack against a Jewish school that left three children and an adult dead, at the Place de la Republique square in Paris, France, March 13, 2022. (credit: REUTERS/BENOIT TESSIER)
A demonstrator holds a sign that reads 'no to antisemitism', during a protest against antisemitism and to commemorate the 2012 Toulouse attack against a Jewish school that left three children and an adult dead, at the Place de la Republique square in Paris, France, March 13, 2022. (credit: REUTERS/BENOIT TESSIER)
The young man knelt. The attackers then reportedly stole his watch and bracelet before making a hasty getaway.The Marseille prosecutor’s office opened an investigation to identify the individuals. The charges being pursued include “aggravated violence with a weapon against a victim due to affiliation with a religion” and “extortion of funds and values aggravated due to the victim’s membership of a religion.”
CRIF Marseille will participate as a civil party in the legal proceedings, as well as calling for heightened vigilance from French authorities, and a robust judicial response that matches the gravity of the attack.