Swastikas painted on Jewish graves in French cemetery The racist act comes hours before nationwide marches across France against a rise in antisemitic attacks.

Image: There has been a rise in antisemitism in France since last year

Swastikas and antisemitic slogans have been smeared on about 90 graves in a Jewish cemetery in France, local officials said.

The graffiti appeared in the cemetery in Quatzenheim, near Strasbourg, overnight on Tuesday - hours before planned nationwide marches against a rise in antisemitic attacks.

French president Emmanuel Macron visited the graveyard on Tuesday, walking through a gate with a swastika sprayed onto it.

He paid his respects at one of the desecrated graves and told Jewish community members and local leaders: "It's important for me to be here with you today."

Image: Emmanuel Macron made a sombre visit to the cemetery in Quatzenheim near Strasbourg

Many French political leaders are due to join Tuesday evening's march in Paris against antisemitism, although Mr Macron will not be there.


There were more than 500 antisemitic attacks across France in 2018, a 74% increase from 2017, figures released last week revealed.

After a series of antisemitic attacks last January Mr Macron urged the whole of France to "rise up" against "disgusting attacks" on the country's Jewish community.

Incidents in recent days included yellow vest protesters on Saturday abusing Alain Finkielkraut, a well-known Jewish writer and son of a Holocaust survivor.

Image: Emmanuel Macron paid his respects at a gravestone daubed with a swastika

With about 550,00 Jews living in France, the country has the largest Jewish community in Europe.

It has grown by about half since the Second World War, but antisemitic attacks remain common.

Earlier this month a bagel shop was sprayed with the word Juden - German for Jews - in yellow letters.

Image: Swastikas were painted on about 90 gravestones

And artwork on two Paris post boxes with the image of Holocaust survivor and former magistrate Simone Veil on were defaced with swastikas.

A Jewish cemetery in Herrlisheim, north of Strasbourg, also had many of its gravestones daubed with swastikas in December last year.

In 2015 four Jews in a Kosher supermarket in Paris were among 17 killed across the city by Islamist militants.

Image: Earlier this month mailboxes with Holocaust survivor and politician Simone Veil on were vandalised

In 2012 an Islamist gunman killed a rabbi and three children at a Jewish school in Toulouse.

"These acts are disgusting," Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told parliament last week.

"We need to educate and remind people about our history, to talk about the horrors that hide behind those criminal acts.

"We also need to punish (more) and we know that we can't be hesitant on that."

Mr Macron will host a dinner on Wednesday with the head of Crif, the overarching body that represents the Jewish community in France.