A man in his 60s carrying a knife attempted to break into a Jewish school and a kosher supermarket in Marseilles in southern France on Friday, local media reported.

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In response to the attempted break-ins, police have stepped up their presence at Jewish institutions in the city.

According to initial reports, the man – whose head was reportedly covered by a towel – arrived at the city's Yavne school at 8:15 a.m. and got out of his car, holding a knife.

#Marseille Interpellation de l'assaillant armé de l'école juive et l'épicer cacher pic.twitter.com/oNGJTiGvMy

— Pierre Sautarel (@FrDesouche) March 5, 2021

After security guards prevented him from entering, he turned to a nearby kosher market and tried to break in there. Security guards subdued him and no one was wounded in the incident.

During the suspect's attempt to breach the school's gates, the students were under lockdown in classrooms.

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According to NYPD spokesman Detective Hubert Reyes, the 51-year-old victim was walking down a street in Brooklyn, NY, on July 11 when occupants in a blue SUV began yelling anti-Semitic slurs at him. The victim answered them back, and "two men in the vehicle stepped out and punched the victim in the head."

The assailants drove off while the victim walked to a nearby hospital, where he was treated for a laceration to his head and a broken finger on his right hand.

"We are alarmed and deeply disturbed that another violent anti-Semitic incident has occurred in Brooklyn," said Etzion Neuer, interim regional director of the New York/New Jersey ADL. "This is horrific, and the hate must stop. The fact that this alleged attack took place during the Sabbath makes it even more egregious."

The ADL is offering a reward of up to $10,000 information leading to the arrest and conviction of the attackers.

Even though it has a large and heavily Orthodox Jewish population, Brooklyn is no stranger to anti-Semitic incidents.

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In December 2019 and January 2020, incidents were reported on a near-weekly basis. In one case, Tiffany Harris, an African-American woman, slapped three different Orthodox Jewish women in Brooklyn. She was arrested and released under the state's new bail-reform law, only to hit another individual shortly afterward and was again arrested for assault.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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The Guardian Angels are a volunteer group founded in 1979, when violent street crime was rampant in the city. Recognizable by their red jackets and berets, they provide an unarmed protective presence that the group calls a "visual deterrence."

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Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa said Saturday that "cops have not been proactive at all" in responding to the rising numbers of anti-Semitic attacks in the city.

Sliwa accused New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio of being "apathetic."

De Blasio's office responded to Sliwa's remarks in a statement that read, "We have no tolerance for anti-Semitism in New York City. The best police department in the world has increased deployment in Crown Heights, Borough Park, and Williamsburg," the statement continued.

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"Usually, you're not supposed to interfere with the election in other countries, but in this case I'm going to make an exception. Jeremy Corbyn is an anti-Semite," Lapid said on Monday.

Lapid made those comments in front of 25 pro-Israel parliamentarians from around the world during a question-and-answer session at the Israel Allies Foundation's annual Chairman's Conference.

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"If you want to know something [about anti-Semitism] there are experts," he added, "and the experts are called Jews. So I'm an expert on this one. And we can tell an anti-Semite when we see one. This is old-school, plain anti-Semitism, just using new excuses. And anyone in his right mind should take this into consideration while walking into the polling booth, because racists are racists are racists, and Jeremy Corbyn is a racist."

On the subject of Israel's current political stalemate, Lapid was asked to compare the stances of his Blue and White Party and the Likud, particularly on foreign policy issues.

"There is a complete consensus [between the parties] on the fight against boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. There is a complete consensus on the Golan Heights," he said. "So there are many similarities between us and Likud on the issues of national security, the fight against global terror led by Iran. The differences would be more on domestic issues – the fight against corruption, how we prioritize the budget, the fight against religious coercion in Israel."

The two parties' stances with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was also mostly the same, but with one important difference, he said.

"Both Blue and White and Likud, if there will be a window of opportunity, we will walk through it trying to negotiate a peace deal with the Palestinians. The only difference is we mean it, and they [Likud] do not," he said.

However, he added that currently there was no point in creating a Palestinian state that is not peace-loving "and has no ability to control the dark forces of Islamic fundamentalism. But if there is a possibility, this is something we will explore with open hearts."

Lapid later said that any developments on the peace front will come only from the next generation of Palestinians, after the era of 84-year-old Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas. That era would likely come to an end in the not-too-distant future, he said.

"There will probably be a transfer of power in the near future," he said, "and we will have to explore if the positive forces within the Palestinian Authority will take over."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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Gilad Erdan, the Israeli minister of strategic affairs, told a news conference in Brussels that the EU should stop funding the Palestinian-led boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. He spoke alongside the US Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism Elan Carr.

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According to numbers compiled by Tel Aviv University, anti-Semitic attacks worldwide rose 13% in 2018 from the previous year. The highest number of attacks were in the US, France, Britain, and Germany.

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In a report Wednesday, the Federation of the Jewish Communities said there were 347 anti-Semitic attacks in 2018, up by 221 from 2015 when the last equivalent report was published.

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Most of the incidents – 93% – appeared on the internet, often on far-right, anti-liberal and pro-Russian media.

The group said there were two physical attacks and three attacks on Jewish property last year. The remainder involved anti-Semitic threats, harassment, and verbal abuse.

The report still says the Czech Republic remains a safe country for Jews and anti-Semitism is at a relatively low level compared with other European countries.

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Police confirmed that an unknown assailant twice attempted to set fire to Congregation Anshe Sholom B'nai Israel in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood overnight Saturday. Worshipers who arrived Sunday morning reported broken glass and charred black rags outside the building.

No one was injured and no damage was caused to the synagogue.

Chicago police later said they were also investigating vandalism outside a number of synagogues in the city's West Rogers Park neighborhood after windows of cars parked on the street were smashed.

Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said that Jewish institutions in the city would receive "special attention" while the string of suspected hate crimes were investigated.

The incidents in Chicago come on the heels of three arson attacks targeting Jewish centers in the greater Boston area.

The Anti-Defamation League issued a statement on Sunday following the reports of vandalism.

"While thankfully the attacks did not cause any injuries or damage, this incident is yet another disturbing reminder of the recent escalation in attacks against Jews and Jewish institutions," ADL Midwest Regional Director David Goldenberg wrote.

"ADL has been in close contact with community leaders and law enforcement and we will continue to monitor the investigation and provide support. We are thankful to the Chicago Police Department for its swift and professional response and call upon all local leaders to join us in speaking out against this hateful act," the statement concluded.

This article was originally published by i24NEWS. Read more at https://www.i24news.tv/en.

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Thursday's cartoon featured U.S. President Donald Trump wearing a kippah, sporting dark-tinted glasses and being led by a dog with the face of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a large blue Star of David hanging from its collar.

The weekend image by Norwegian cartoonist Roar Hagen depicts Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with sinister eyes taking a picture of himself with a selfie-stick, carrying in what appears to be an empty desert with a tablet featuring the Israeli flag painted on it.

"Untimely bad move by The New York Times showing an ominous-looking cartoon featuring the Star of David and Israel's prime minister again, right after apologizing for the first cartoon and promising to prevent similar cases of anti-Semitism in the future," StandWithUs CEO Roz Rothstein told JNS. "All of us must hold them accountable to their promises. Enough is enough."

"The anti-Semitic editorial cartoon in Thursday's international edition of The New York Times was an outrage. Drawn with great technical skill and conceived with great ignorance, if not hate, this piece was simply a reflection of the Times' long-standing bias against Israel. The symbolism used was vintage Nazi Germany," said B'nai B'rith International president Charles Kaufman and CEO Daniel Mariaschin in a statement.

"This cartoon punctuated yet another shocking weekend of hatred toward Jews. How anti-Semitic commentary has made it into the mainstream of public opinion is beyond comprehension in modern times," they continued.

"In this case, this incident is the exclamation point about media today. Editors have virtually disappeared as the marketplace of ideas flourishes with unchecked sources and little, if any, corroboration of information. What seems to matter most is being first to market with a thought rather than exercising discretion, a penchant for accuracy and news judgment."

The Times apologized on Sunday and said that "investigated how this happened and learned that, because of a faulty process, a single editor working without adequate oversight downloaded the syndicated cartoon and made the decision to include it on the Opinion page. The matter remains under review, and we are evaluating our internal processes and training. We anticipate significant changes."

Kaufman and Mariaschin said that "while we acknowledge that the Times has issued apologies for the cartoon, merely apologizing is not enough."

"We call on the paper to review and revise its editorial processes so that blatantly anti-Semitic and racist content will not be given a platform by one of the most widely read newspapers in the world," they continued. "The artist who created the cartoon and the editors who approved its publication must be held accountable."

"Whatever your interpretation of this particular image, we can only conclude that The New York Times is deliberately giving the Jewish community the proverbial finger even while it apologizes for its other cartoon," tweeted HonestReporting, a non-governmental organization that monitors anti-Israel media bias, regarding the weekend cartoon.

Sarah Stern, founder and president of the Endowment for Middle East Truth, told JNS that "sometimes, a perfunctory 'apology' does not really cut it."

"Obviously, the 'apology' for last Thursday's deeply offensive cartoon, did not penetrate with the editors of The New York Times enough to prevent them from printing yet another, equally vile anti-Semitic cartoon in [the weekend] edition," she said.

"One must ask why they are so obsessed with Israel and with Prime Minister Netanyahu? The problem is that anti-Israel, anti-Zionist and anti-Netanyahu statements have become so acceptable in today's society that the 'respectable' editors of The New York Times do not recognize that they, themselves are guilty of committing, over and over again, classic anti-Semitic stereotypes and offenses."

This article is reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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Erdan wrote that anti-Semitism in political cartoons extended beyond the pages of newspapers and turned into the "blood of Jews" being spilled in synagogues or other places "identified as Jewish."

"That is always the true motive for terrorism and murder against our people – not 'the territories' or 'concessions,' – hatred of Jews," Erdan wrote.

"The loathsome terrorist who carried out the murderous act in the California synagogue and killed the late Lori Gilbert Kaye was inspired to kill by the same anti-Semitic motives in the cartoon published in The New York Times – [accusations] that the Jews run the world, that the prime minister of Israel runs the world. The Israeli prime minister is portrayed as a guide dog leading a blind man. How much hatred and incitement that illustration contains," he wrote.

"So people are saying that the newspaper supposedly apologized and that the cartoon's publication was an 'error in judgment.' … You wouldn't accept such a limp-wristed condemnation of racism and incitement if it were directed at any other minority," Erdan continued.

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"I condemn the abhorrent attack on a synagogue in California; this is an attack on the heart of the Jewish people. We send condolences to the family of Lori Gilbert Kaye and our best wishes for a quick recovery to the wounded," Netanyahu said.

"The international community must step up the struggle against anti-Semitism," Netanyahu added.

Later this week, the prime minister plans to convene a special meeting to discuss the uptick in anti-Semitic attacks worldwide.

On Saturday, a gunman opened fire inside a synagogue near San Diego as worshippers celebrated the last day of Passover. The attack came exactly six months after 11 people were killed by a gunman at a Pittsburgh synagogue in October.

As news of the shooting spread, reactions poured in from Israeli, American and Jewish leaders throughout the world.

President Reuven Rivlin said, "We were shocked and grieved to hear of the shooting at Chabad of Poway, California yesterday. The murderous attack on the Jewish community during Pesach, our holiday of freedom, and just before Holocaust Memorial Day, is yet another painful reminder that anti-Semitism and hatred of Jews is still with us, everywhere. No country and no society are immune. Only through education for Holocaust remembrance and tolerance can we deal with this plague."

Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz said, "The State of Israel is sorrowful about the horrible terrorist attack at the Chabad of Poway Synagogue, where Lori Gilbert Kaye lost her life. Our hearts and prayers are with Lori's family and the wounded of this attack. We are here to assist the local Jewish community however and whenever necessary."

The Pittsburgh synagogue that six months ago was the site of the deadliest U.S. attack on Jews offered its sympathy to the Chabad of Poway synagogue near San Diego.

The Tree of Life synagogue, where 11 people were killed by a gunman in October, released a statement on Saturday that "THIS MUST STOP. We are heartbroken – and appalled and outraged – by the news of the attack at the Poway Synagogue near San Diego today. This must stop. It was only six months ago to the day that we became members of that tragic club of community-based shootings to which no one wants to belong. We know first-hand the fear, anguish and healing process such an atrocity causes, and our hearts are with the afflicted San Diego families and their congregation. We will not give in to H(asterisk). We send our love and prayers to the Chabad families. These senseless acts of violence and prejudice must end. Enough is enough!"

Jonathan A. Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, said in a statement: "This shooting is a reminder of the enduring virulence of anti-Semitism. It must serve as a call to action for us as a society to deal once and for all with this hate. People of all faiths should not have to live in fear of going to their house of worship. From Charleston to Pittsburgh to Oak Creek and from Christchurch to Sri Lanka, and now Poway, we need to say 'enough is enough.'"

World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder released a statement saying that "there is absolutely no justification or explanation for such violence, and it is inconceivable that, yet again, innocent people have been targeted simply for their religion and for choosing to attend a place of worship. … There is no room for such hate-filled violence in our society. People of all faiths must stand together and declare that we will never tolerate such hatred."

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Director Sara J. Bloomfield said in a statement: "Now our thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones. But moving forward this must serve as yet another wake-up call that antisemitism is a growing and deadly menace. The Holocaust is a reminder of the dangers of unchecked antisemitism and the way hate can infect a society. All Americans must unequivocally condemn it and confront it in wherever it appears."

U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters, said, "My deepest sympathies go to the people that were affected – the families, the loved ones – by the, obviously, looks right now based on my last conversations – looks like a hate crime. Hard to believe, hard to believe. With respect to the synagogue in California near San Diego. We're doing some very heavy research. We'll see what happens, what comes up. At this moment it looks like a hate crime. But my deepest sympathies to all of those affected. And we'll get to the bottom of it. It looks like the person was apprehended, no more danger. And law enforcement has done a fantastic job."

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Twitter, "Coming just six months after the horrific mass shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, we are confronted with what appears to be another anti-Semitic attack. We all stand with the Jewish community against this act of hate."

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement: "California sends our deepest and heartfelt condolences to the friends and families of the victims of today's shooting at the Chabad of Poway. … We join the Poway community in its grief and, together with all Californians, recognize the bravery and heroism of our first responders. … No one should have to fear going to their place of worship, and no one should be targeted for practicing the tenets of their faith."

Steve Vaus, the mayor of Poway, where the shooting took place, said on Twitter: "Hate has no place in ANY community … least of all Poway. We will put our arms around each other and walk through this tragedy as the family we have always been and always will be."

Longtime civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson said, "We offer our prayers for those killed and wounded in San Diego. In this hateful environment, there is a target on the back of blacks and Jews. … The environment is toxic. The winds are blowing and we must detoxify the environment. Those who do things to set the climate are equally responsible. 19-year-olds are not born hateful. It is developed and learned. We must ban assault weapons."

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