France intends to ban the Jewish Defence League (JDL), the extremist right-wing organisation already outlawed in the US, as tensions ripple from Gaza across Europe.

Bernard Cazeneuve, the interior minister, said he had taken legal advice on the issue after a series of recent clashes between the league and pro-Palestinian activists. He made the announcement as Jewish groups, including the JDL, prepared to stage a march in Paris in support of Israel last night.

Eight synagogues have been attacked in a wave of anti-Semitism driven by immigrants from France’s former Muslim colonies. Now French officials fear that radical Jewish groups could be tempted to retaliate, sparking further violence.

The US branch of the JDL was classified as a right-wing terrorist organisation by the FBI in