French premier vows to protect all Jews against 'antisemitic' acts

By Nur Asena Erturk

ANKARA (AA) – France's Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on Monday vowed to protect all French Jews from what she called antisemitic acts.

Borne told France Inter that she understands the French Jews' "anxiety" about the rise in "antisemitic" acts and said, "The government does everything to protect them, we stand with them."

Those acts can take different forms, such as slogans during protests, hate speech on social media, or physical aggression, she added.

Earlier on Sunday, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced that authorities had recorded 1,040 "antisemitic" acts since Oct. 7 and that 486 people had been arrested in this regard, according to media reports.

The Israeli army has launched air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.

At least 9,770 Palestinians, including 4,800 children and 2,550 women, have been killed in the Israeli bombardments in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli death toll is nearly 1,600, according to official figures.

Besides the large number of casualties and massive displacements, basic supplies are running low for Gaza’s 2.3 million residents due to the Israeli siege.

Thousands took to the streets in many countries to express support for Palestine, while some of the protests are banned in France.