On 30 March 2002, a group of masked menrammed two cars through the courtyard gates of a synagogue in theLa Duchere [fr] neighbourhood ofLyon, France, then rammed one of the cars into the prayer hall before setting the vehicles on fire and causing severe damage to the synagogue.
The attack took place at 1:00 am on a Saturday morning; the building was empty at the time. The attackers wore masks or hoods covering their faces, eyewitnesses reported seeing 12 or 15 attackers.[1][2][3][4]
It was the first of a series ofattacks on Jewish targets inFrance in a single week – which coincided with the holiday ofPassover – including "at least" five synagogues.[3][5] The targeted synagogues include the Or Aviv synagogue inMarseille, which burned to the ground; a synagogue inStrasbourg, where a fire was set that burned the doors and facade of the building before being doused;[6] and the firebombing of a synagogue in the Paris suburb ofLe Kremlin-Bicêtre.[5]
One of the attackers was arrested and sentenced to two years in prison.[7]
TheFrench Jewish community viewed the attacks as acts of "terrorism". Maurice Obadia, President of the Jewish Community of La Duchere, said, "Nobody should try to make us believe that these are the acts of ill-at-easedelinquents, because these are the acts of terrorists." Alain Jacubowicz, a leader of the Jewish community in Lyon, described the ramming andarson attack at the Duchere synagogue as "an act of war."[3]
Kamel Kabtane,imam of themosque in Lyon, told a Jewish audience: "TheMuslim community and all the people who came with me today want to express solidarity with you, and it denounces with you and as loudly as you do these terrorist acts that attackfreedom of religion."[3]
Prime MinisterLionel Jospin described the attack as "organized and premeditated"; he described himself as "revolted" by it and called for "respect of religions."[8]
PresidentJacques Chirac called the attack "unspeakable" and "inadmissible."[8]
Michel Miraillet,Charge d'Affaires at theEmbassy of France to Israel, said stringent measures were being taken by the authorities to ensure the security of French Jews.[7]
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