Man in France accused of threatening Jewish woman’s life to ‘avenge Palestine’
Suspect allegedly held victim in Paris apartment, sent messages to her mother that she would never see daughter again; rape suspicions also being probed
A man in France is to be tried for allegedly making death threats to a Jewish woman, telling her family and another person he would kill her to “avenge Palestine.”
The suspect was in court Tuesday, where prosecutors said they intend to put him on trial for using narcotics and making death threats based on religion, French media outlets reported.
According to prosecutors, the man sent a message to the woman’s mother reading, “Good luck, you will never find your daughter, you will never see her again.” He also threatened to force the woman into prostitution.
In addition, he allegedly sent a message to the woman’s former boyfriend that he wanted to “avenge Palestine.”
Police arrested the man on Sunday in Gennevilliers, a suburb of Paris. The woman claimed that he had held her against her will at an apartment. She was eventually able to use her phone to alert her mother to the situation, media reported.
The woman reportedly became acquainted with the man over a week ago.
The suspect was initially investigated for kidnapping, rape and making death threats.
The kidnapping accusation was later dropped, and the prosecution said the rape suspicion requires further investigation.
A trial was set for June 21.
The incident came as antisemitism around the world has spiked against the backdrop of the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian terror group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
War erupted on October 7 when Hamas led a devastating cross-border attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians.
Israel responded with a military offensive to destroy Hamas and free 253 hostages who were abducted during the terror attack.
