The Paris public prosecutor’s office has announced an investigation into the appearance of Star of David symbols on multiple buildings across the French capital.
The Jewish and Israeli emblems were found stencilled in blue on facades in the 14th arrondissement in southern Paris, French news agency AFP reported.
The investigation into damage to others’ property for reasons linked to race, origin, ethnic group or religion, has been assigned to the local police station, the prosecutor’s office said. These offences carry a penalty of up to four years in prison and a fine of €30,000.
Since Israel was attacked by Hamas on 7 October, France’s Pharos reporting platform has received 2,500 reports of anti-Semitic acts, according to the Interior Ministry.
Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti noted more than 400 arrests for these “anti-Semitic acts” on Sunday.
In a statement shared with the media, Carine Petit, Mayor of the 14th arrondissement, condemned the graffiti as “anti-Semitic and racist acts.” She added, “Such marking mirrors practices from the 1930s and the Second World War that led to the extermination of millions of Jews.”
Samuel Lejoyeux, President of France’s Union of Jewish Students (UEJF), told AFP, “Clearly, the individuals behind this aim to instil fear.”
Similar graffiti appeared last weekend in Parisian suburbs—Vanves, Fontenay-aux-Roses, Aubervilliers, and Saint-Ouen - accompanied by statements such as “From the sea to the Jordan, Palestine will prevail.”
