Orthodox Jewish families from across Europe, vacationing in the village of Châtel in the Auvergne–Rhône–Alpes region of France, near the Swiss border, discovered that vandals had spray-painted the slogan “Free Palestine” on nine of their cars.
Currently, dozens of Haredi families are staying in the area, taking advantage of the summer holiday to vacation in the Alps. One person at the site told Ynet that nine vehicles were vandalized and that a complaint was filed with the local police. A Haredi man from Vienna, whose car was defaced, added: “It’s a horrifying feeling, and the police are not taking the case seriously.”
The vandalism occurred against the backdrop of heightened tensions between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and French President Emmanuel Macron, which hit a new low this week. The friction was sparked by a letter Netanyahu sent to Macron that caused a diplomatic uproar in Paris.
In the letter, published in the French media, Netanyahu harshly criticized Macron’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state, accusing him of pouring fuel on the flames of antisemitism in France. He further angered the French by claiming there was a direct link between the rise in antisemitic incidents in the country and Macron’s stance toward Israel and his declaration on recognizing a Palestinian state.
Macron’s office rejected Netanyahu’s accusations, calling them “false and despicable,” and clarified that they “will not go unanswered.”