Rouen: Man shot dead after setting fire to French synagogue

French police say a man has died after a synagogue was set on fire in the northwestern city of Rouen.

Rouen prosecutors said the man was armed with knives and metal tools and was shot dead after threatening police officers.

Rouen Mayor Nicolas Mayer Rossignol said the attack on the synagogue not only affected the Jewish community, but the entire city was “devastated and shocked.”

French media reports said the suspect, an Algerian national, had appealed against the order to leave France.

At around 06:45 (04:45 Japan time) smoke was seen coming from the synagogue and police were called. The gunman climbed into a large trash can and threw a Molotov cocktail through a small window, setting the synagogue on fire.

Two police officers quickly arrived at the scene after the man was seen on a security camera. Prosecutors said the suspect was on the roof of the synagogue when they arrived. After threatening them, the man threw a chisel at them before jumping to the ground and brandishing a 25cm (10in) knife.

“The police fired five times, hitting the individual four times,” Rouen prosecutor Frédéric Teillet said, adding that he had watched security camera footage.

Firefighters at the scene eventually brought the blaze under control inside the synagogue in the city’s historic center. The mayor said there did not appear to be any other casualties other than the armed man.

The damage inside the synagogue is reported to be extensive. “It’s really upsetting. It’s devastating,” said Natasha Benheim, head of Rouen’s Jewish community of about 150 families.

The walls and furniture were left blackened by the fire, but “the Torah scrolls and scriptures were not damaged.”

Rabbi Shmuel Lubecki, who inspected the damage inside the synagogue, said the attack had devastated the city’s small community.

“The message the community needs to hear is that we must not give up. We must be able to practice Judaism in complete freedom. Anti-Semites will destroy us.” “I can’t,” he told BFMTV. “So we are asking our community to light a candle this Sabbath night and come to our synagogue if they can.”

Mr Teie said two investigations were ongoing: the arson of the place of worship and the use of weapons by police outside the building.

The officer is currently in custody, but prosecutors said video footage showed the officer used the weapon “in accordance with the conditions permitted by internal security law.”

Interior Minister Gerard Darmanin visited the synagogue and praised the police for their quick response and courage in confronting the attackers.

“On this Shabbat night, I would like to reiterate that as the Ministry of the Interior we are determined to protect the entire Jewish community of France, wherever it may be, and that they must practice their religion without fear. I think.”

Little is known about the alleged attacker, who did not reveal any identity at the time. French media said he was a 29-year-old Algerian national who was appealing an expulsion order from French authorities.

France, like other Western European countries, has seen a surge in anti-Semitism since Hamas attacked southern Israel last October, leading to the current war in Gaza.

Earlier this week, a monument in Paris honoring the 3,900 men and women who helped save Jews during the Nazi occupation of France during World War II was painted red.

President Emmanuel Macron said defacing the wall would undermine the memory of France’s heroes and Holocaust victims.

France has the third largest Jewish community in the world after Israel and the United States.

Jonathan Alfie, president of the Council of Jewish Institutions in France (Crieff), said: “Burning synagogues is intended to intimidate all Jews.”

Elie Corchia, another leading figure in the Jewish community, thanked police for their quick response to “another drama of anti-Semitism in our country.”

Imam Bashar el-Saidi, president of the Muslim Union of Rouen, visited the synagogue on Friday and delivered a message of solidarity: “We categorically condemn what happened. Even if a mosque is attacked, that does not change.” It was sent.

Places of worship in Rouen have come under attack in the past. Eight years ago, a priest was fatally stabbed while leading a church service.