Even French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the recent attack on Rabbi Arié Engelberg in Orléans. He said that more needs to be done as antisemitism has never been so prevalent in France. Rabbi Engelberg was strolling in midtown Manhattan with his little boy when he was brutally attacked. This brutal act of violence has sent shockwaves through our local and national communities. The French authorities are investigating this assault as an antisemitic hate crime.
The attack has triggered a global outcry. Orléans’ mayor, the former minister Serge Grouard, condemned the attack as “an abomination and an attack on freedom” and “heinous and intolerable.” French President Emmanuel Macron says he stands unequivocally —sans réserves — with Rabbi Engelberg and with the Jewish community. He highlights the compelling need for immediate action to address this violence.
“The attack on Rabbi Arié Engelberg in Orléans shocks us all. I offer him, his son, and all our fellow citizens of the Jewish faith my full support and that of the nation … We will not give in to silence or inaction,” said French President Emmanuel Macron.
Antisemitism is still a major issue in France, which is where Western Europe’s largest Jewish population lives. France has the third largest Jewish community in the world, with a Jewish population estimated at 500,000, about 1% of the national population. The Jewish community frequently faces rising antisemitism, becoming a focal point for religiously motivated hate crimes.
The French Interior Ministry has counted 2,500 antisemitic acts in 2024. This figure accounts for 62% of all religiously motivated hate crimes in the entirety of the country. Racially motivated crimes Physical or personal assaults are up 3% over 2019. 54% of victims faced physical, personal assault compared to 2019.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin expressed the most intense outrage over the attack. In particular, he underscored the urgent need to keep foreign tensions from stoking domestic divisions.
“I condemn with the greatest firmness the antisemitic attack of the Chief Rabbi of Orléans,” stated Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin. “He has all my support. The suspect was arrested and placed in a psychiatric facility.”
Yonathan Arfi, president CRIF, the umbrella group for Jewish organizations in France – spoke on crisis antisemitism.
“No, anti-Semitism is not ‘residual,’” stated Yonathan Arfi, highlighting the ongoing challenge faced by the Jewish community in France.
