AJC Appalled by Latest Anti-Semitic Attack in France

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Jul 05, 2012, 10:06 ET

NEW YORK, July 5, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A 17-year-old Jewish student, on a train from Toulouse to Lyon, was attacked and badly beaten last night.

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He is a student at the Ozar HaTorah school in Toulouse, the scene of a deadly terrorist attack in March that left three children and one teacher dead. The young man was wearing a visible Star of David around his neck when the brazen assault on the train took place.

In response, the French Ministry of Interior issued a statement expressing its determination "to combat the resurgence of this great evil that is anti-Semitism," adding that "it is an insult to the values and history of our Republic."

French media reports indicate that two men have been arrested in this latest attack.

AJC Paris, directed by Simone Rodan, has been in close touch with French authorities and French Jewish organizations since the attack on the Jewish teenager was first reported.

"The recent spate of violent attacks against Jews in France -- 148 just in the period from the March 19 tragedy in Toulouse until April 30, according to the French Jewish security group, SPCJ -- underscores the seriousness of the problem, for which there can be no justification or rationalization, period," said Rodan. "I know from my many contacts with government officials that there's understanding of the gravity of the problem, as well as a need for the strongest possible response. Together with all who stand firmly opposed to anti-Semitism, we will continue to monitor the situation closely."

SOURCE American Jewish Committee