France: Muslim Teen of Palestinian Origin Brutally Bites and Attacks Chief Rabbi of Orléans

Image: Jihad Watch

A 16-year-old boy of Palestinian descent was arrested on Saturday in Orléans, approximately 75 miles southwest of Paris, for allegedly assaulting a rabbi in front of the rabbi's son.

The assault, in which the suspect reportedly bit the victim viciously, led to strong condemnations from French President Emmanuel Macron and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar.

According to Le Parisien, the suspect attacked Rabbi Arié Engelberg around 1 p.m., biting him on the shoulder after accosting and beating him in the street. The rabbi suffered minor injuries, including a wound on his cheek. The attacker fled the scene but was apprehended by police at 9:45 p.m.

Ariel Godman, president of the FSJU (United Jewish Welfare Fund), stated that the alleged assailant had approached the rabbi with a cell phone, seemingly intending to film him on Shabbat, a day when many Orthodox Jews object to being filmed or photographed. When the rabbi requested that he stop, the assault occurred, Godman explained to France 3 television.

“The attack on Rabbi Arié Engelberg in Orléans shocks us all,” Macron posted on X. “I offer my full support to him, his son, and all our fellow citizens of the Jewish faith. Antisemitism is poisonous, and we will not tolerate silence or inaction.”

Sa’ar commented on the incident: “The resurgence of antisemitism in France and across Europe is not only alarming—it serves as a wake-up call for European governments, leaders, and civil society.”

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)