Anti-Semitic attack at the synagogue in La Grande-Motte: “We escaped an absolute tragedy”, the strong words of Gabriel Attal

Gabriel Attal, entouré de Gérald Darmanin, Stéphan Rossignol, maire de La Grande-Motte et le préfet héraultais François Xavier Lauch.. Midi Libre – SYLVIE CAMBON

The resigning Prime Minister said he was “revolted” and “indignant”. He went to the Beth Yaacov synagogue this Saturday afternoon in the presence of the Chief Rabbi of France and his resigning Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin.

“Revolted“, “indignant”, “an absolute tragedy has been avoided”…. It was a very serious resigning Prime Minister who arrived this Saturday, August 24, in front of the Beth Yaacov synagogue in La Grande-Motte. He arrived with his Minister of the Interior, also resigning, Gérald Darmanin, who remained silent, to meet with members of a community devastated by an attack that could have been considerably more serious.

The Prime Minister was first able to visit members of the Jewish community of La Grande-Motte. He was able to greet the rabbi of the synagogue who was inside the place of worship at the time of the fire and explosion. Gabriel Attal was able to see for himself the two main doors of the building, without any distinctive religious symbols, completely charred. He was able to check with the authorities that everything was being done to find the perpetrator who probably got the time wrong on this day of Shabbat, this weekly day of rest, which would have been populated by worshipers half an hour after the explosion. He was able to hear some witnesses assure that this attack “could have caused forty or fifty victims”, underlines Patrice Bitton, a member of the community.

“An extremely determined individual”

The Prime Minister was also able to speak with the mayor of the seaside town, Stéphan Rossignol, whose vacation was cut short. A shocked first magistrate who was nevertheless able to recall that his injured municipal police officer “was able to leave the hospital, shocked with large bruises”.

Gabriel Attal was able to greet “the great responsiveness of the police. They have all our recognition and support, because they are heroic“, he insisted. On the other hand, he refused to dwell on the perpetrator, recalling that he was on the run, that an anti-terrorism investigation was underway and especially that “more than 200 police officers and gendarmes are mobilized to find him”.

He recalled, however, that “the individual was extremely determined”. And in the presence of the faithful, “there would have been human victims”, insisted the tenant of Matignon. He also recalled the figures that his Minister of the Interior had recently given, on a very sharp increase in anti-Semitic acts that have tripled in one year, with 887 incidents recorded in the first half of 2024 compared to 304 during the same period in 2023.

“Beyond political divisions”

While the Prime Minister appeared sincerely affected, he also showed himself to be determined: “We are both mobilized and intractable in the face of these acts. And this, beyond political divisions… It is all together that we must systematically stand up to such acts", he concluded. Not without emphasizing that he would not make any political comments, given the institutional context.

A little earlier, the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron had also insisted: "The fight against anti-Semitism is a constant battle, that of the united Nation". He who wants

All the leaders of the political parties condemned this "criminal act against the synagogue of La Grande-Motte. Intolerable crime. Thoughts for the faithful and believers thus attacked", wrote Jean-Luc Mélenchon in particular. Followed by the rebellious Rima Hassan, Franco-Palestinian MEP, suspected of anti-Semitic remarks. And some Renaissance parliamentarians have asked for the lifting of parliamentary immunity so that she can answer for it before the courts: “It is the duty of all of us to fight against all acts and speeches of racist hatred, at all times, against all communities”, she wrote on X. Without referring to any form of anti-Semitism. Gabriel Attal did not hesitate to describe it: “An anti-Semitic act. Once again, our fellow Jews have been targeted .

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