French Jewish activist assaulted at home as protests continue in Paris

(JTA) — A French Jewish activist whose address was published in anti-Israel forums online was ambushed outside his home by several men who caused him minor injuries.

The attack Friday in Bobigny near Paris was one of several violent incidents and expressions of hate that occurred over the weekend across Europe. There has been a surge in such incidents since Israel launched Operation Protective Edge earlier this month in Gaza.

The 24-year-old activist’s name appeared last week on a page on Facebook that contained the names and photos of dozens of people, including some of their addresses. The Facebook page of  “Young French Revolutionaries” was taken offline, but a cached version of it shows the caption “Smile, you’re on camera” on the post containing the dozens of pictures and details.

The Union of French Jewish Students confirmed to Le Monde that the 24-year-old’s name appeared on the list. According to Le Monde, he is associated with the French Jewish Defense League, a far-right group with a history of vigilante reprisals for attacks on French Jews.

On Saturday, anti-Israel activists clashed with police at an unauthorized demonstration at Paris’ Place de la Republique. Forty people were arrested, according to the news site 20minutes.fr.

Last week, protesters tried to attack synagogues at a similar protest near Sarcelles.

Yad Vashem Israel’s national Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, urged European governments to protect Jews from anti-Semitic attacks in a July 24 statement.

“We call on the governments of the democracies around the world, particularly in Europe, to take immediate steps, using the legal and moral tools at their disposal, to protect Jewish citizens in their countries, and combat the expressions of antisemitism which we are witnessing in recent weeks,” said Yad Vashem’s chairman, Avner Shalev.

The statement was unusual for Yad Vashem because it addressed issues beyond Holocaust commemoration and documentation.