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On Saturday morning in Yeeres, a southeastern suburb of Paris, 67-year-old Gilles Cohen was attacked while walking home from a mikveh wearing his kippah.
The assailant struck Cohen from behind and shouted, “Dirty Jew, we will kill you!” He then searched Cohen, demanding “money and the keys to the synagogue.”
A passerby rushed forward and pulled the attacker away, prosecutors in Evry confirmed.
Investigation Opened on Religious Grounds
The Evry prosecutor announced an investigation into attempted violent theft and death threats driven by antisemitic hatred. Cohen suffered a badly swollen eye and received a medical order excusing him from work for at least eight days.
Essonne’s territorial crime division is leading the inquiry. Authorities have not yet made an arrest.
Leaders Condemn Attack
Local lawmaker Antoine Leaument, of the France Unbowed party, condemned the crime. “The insults uttered during this attack leave no doubt about his antisemitic motive. The perpetrator of this heinous attack must be found and tried,” he said.
CRIF President Yonathan Arfi warned that the assault reflects a broader trend. He cited recent attacks on rabbis in Orleans, Deauville, Neuilly, and Levallois.
“No one will uproot the Jews from France,” Arfi declared. “But it is high time to uproot the antisemitism that is festering in society, using a conflict 3,000 km away as a pretext.”
Despite his injuries, Cohen insisted on attending synagogue the very next day. “His eye is very, very swollen,” said Rabbi Mendel Gourevitch of Brunoy Yeshiva. “Yet he still had the courage to join the morning prayers.”
Gourevitch added that parents and community members in the area feel increasingly uneasy about security, even in places once considered calm.
Broader Context: Rising Antisemitic Violence
French officials logged more than 640 antisemitic acts in the first half of 2025. While lower than the record figures from 2024, the number remains far higher than pre-October 7 levels.
The attack in Yerres highlights the dangerous normalization of antisemitism in France. Authorities face urgent pressure to bring the assailant to justice and take decisive action to protect Jewish life nationwide.
Take Action
CAM has launched Report It — a secure app to report antisemitic incidents anonymously and in real time. Don’t stay silent — download it today on the Apple Store or Google Play. See it. Report it. Stop it. Together, we can fight this hate.
