French authorities have arrested three Serbian nationals in connection with a series of antisemitic acts targeting Jewish sites in Paris, amid growing suspicions of foreign interference.
The suspects were detained in the southeastern Alpes-Maritimes region on Monday as they allegedly prepared to leave the country, according to local reports. Their arrests follow a string of incidents over the weekend in which three synagogues, a Jewish restaurant, and a Holocaust memorial were defaced with green paint in the capital’s historic Marais district and the 20th arrondissement.
Authorities quickly launched an investigation into what they described as “damage committed on religious grounds.”
The case has drawn comparisons to similar antisemitic vandalism in recent years that French officials have linked to suspected Russian influence operations aimed at destabilizing French society. A source close to the investigation told AFP that authorities see the latest incident as part of a broader foreign effort to incite tension, “given the similarities with the modus operandi used for the ‘red hands’ graffiti.”
In May 2024, red handprints were painted on a Paris memorial honoring those who rescued Jews during the Nazi occupation. French authorities identified three Bulgarian nationals behind that act. In another case from October 2023, dozens of Stars of David appeared across Paris and its suburbs. Two Moldovan nationals were arrested, and intelligence sources identified a Moldovan-Russian businessman as their possible handler.
French intelligence previously told outlets including AFP and Le Monde that the 2023 graffiti campaign was “commissioned by Russian security services.” Moscow rejected the accusations, calling them “stupid” and “outrageous.”
In response to the latest events, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly criticized French President Emmanuel Macron, urging him to take stronger action against rising antisemitism in France.
