French Police Kill Suspect in Synagogue Arson

Facts

• Early on Friday, French police shot and killed a man suspected of setting a synagogue on fire in Rouen, France, located in Normandy.¹
• Armed with a knife and a metallic tool, the man, reported to be an Algerian citizen appealing an expulsion order, threatened officers before being fatally shot.²
• Emergency services responded to alerts of a fire at the synagogue around 6:45 a.m. local time. The fire reportedly started after the suspect threw a Molotov cocktail or similar incendiary weapon into the main prayer room.³
• Though the synagogue suffered significant damage, the Torah scrolls remained unharmed, and no one besides the suspect was injured.²
• Two investigations have been launched into the incident. One into arson and the 'intentional violence' against police, and a second into the officer-involved shooting. France's National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office has said that it is currently assessing whether or not to take up the case.⁴
• The suspect's identity has yet to be revealed, but French reports say the man was 29 years old and was appealing an order of expulsion from France.²

Sources: ¹Associated Press, ²BBC News, ³Guardian and ⁴Al Jazeera.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by France 24. An attack on the Jewish community of France is an attack on all of France. French Jews are facing a climate of danger and fear. These antisemitic acts and their implied message that Jews do not belong in French society are abhorrently wrong. The fight against rising antisemitism should be a moral obligation for all French citizens.
• Narrative B, as provided by Washington Post. While the burning of a synagogue is likely a blatantly antisemitic act, the exact motivations of the suspect are still unknown. The man was in France undergoing medical treatment, and while authorities were looking for him due to an expulsion order, he was not known to be dangerous. Since he was shot and killed and is not able to defend himself at trial, a full investigation must be undertaken before people make assumptions.