Two youths in France convicted of glorifying terrorism after giving Nazi salute near synagogue

Two 19-year-old men have been convicted in France of “glorifying terrorism” after filming themselves giving Nazi salutes near a synagogue and a memorial honoring victims of the 2012 Toulouse terrorist attacks.

The incident, which took place in Sarcelles, in the Val-d’Oise district north of Paris, is the latest in a series of antisemitic incidents that have raised concerns over the safety of France’s Jewish community, the largest in Europe.

According to AFP, one of the men, a Russian citizen, was sentenced to eight months in prison and permanently banned from French territory. The other, a French citizen of Ukrainian ancestry, received a six-month prison sentence. Their photographs and other identifying information were also entered into France’s national registry of terrorism offenders, known as FIJAIT.

The two men were spotted by a passing motorist on Sunday evening as they filmed themselves giving Nazi salutes beneath a memorial plaque honoring the victims of the 2012 attacks carried out by Mohammed Merah in Toulouse. The plaque is located on Raymond-Rochon Street near a Moroccan synagogue.

They were arrested shortly afterward. Footage recovered from their cellphones, along with nearby security camera recordings, clearly showed them making the Nazi salute, which is illegal in France. They were subsequently brought before an expedited trial in Pontoise, which resulted in their convictions and sentencing.

Moïse Kahloun, president of the large Jewish community in Sarcelles, thanked authorities for their prompt and appropriate response, saying that “anti-Semitism is a growing problem in France and especially in Val-d’Oise.”

According to the travel advisory website Safe for Jews, “Recent events in France have highlighted a concerning rise in antisemitic incidents, including the theft of Torah scrolls from a synagogue in Levallois-Perret and the vandalism of a plaque honoring Holocaust rescuers in Paris.”

The website added that “President Macron has acknowledged this resurgence, emphasizing the need for vigilance against antisemitism.”

France maintains diplomatic relations with Israel and has a significant Jewish community. Recent events have strained relations, with President Macron's recognition of Palestine leading to criticism from Israeli officials.

Despite a steady stream of emigration by French Jews in recent years, France remains home to the largest Jewish community in Europe and the third largest in the world, with an estimated 350,000 to 400,000 Jews, most of whom live in Paris and Marseille.

The Jewish Community Protection Service recorded 436 antisemitic acts in France in 2022.

In 2023, that number rose to 1,676, with the overwhelming majority occurring after the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, as well as numerous antisemitic attacks that were also reported on Oct. 7 itself.

Between 2010 and 2019, an estimated 38,000 French Jews emigrated, with many making Aliyah to Israel, while others moved to the United States and French-speaking areas of Canada's Quebec province.

The incident in Sarcelles comes as France continues to grapple with concerns over rising antisemitism and the security of its Jewish population.