French authorities arrested an Irish man in his sixties in Avignon following a mid-August supermarket encounter where he allegedly made antisemitic threats to an Australian Jewish tourist couple, according to reports verified by Agence France-Presse and local law enforcement.
Arrest in Avignon Following Supermarket Confrontation
The Marseille Gendarmerie’s research section and the Avignon research brigade detained the suspect on Wednesday, following an incident that gained public attention after video footage circulated on social media. According to the Australian Jewish Association (AJA), the encounter initially began as a casual conversation before turning hostile when one of the tourists mentioned Irish policies concerning Hamas and Hezbollah.
When the tourist started recording the interaction, the Irish suspect threatened the couple directly on camera. According to details reported by outlets including The Jerusalem Post and The Irish Times, the man told the couple to get away from him before threatening to put a bullet in the woman’s head.
Detailed Account and Police Investigation
The targeted tourist’s wife recounted the encounter, stating that the man used explicit antisemitic language and expressed regret that Hitler had not completed the job. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed the apprehension via social media, stating that a suspect was apprehended and would answer for his actions while emphasizing that antisemitism must be fought firmly.
The victims did not immediately report the incident to local police out of concern for their travel schedule, as they were departing for Djerba the following day. After returning to France, they connected with French Jewish security liaisons and formally filed a report at a police station in Nice on Monday, which triggered the deployment of gendarmerie forces and the subsequent arrest on Wednesday.
Official Response and Legal Proceedings
The action by French law enforcement drew praise from the victims, who acknowledged the professional response of the police and statements of support from French government officials, including Tourism Minister Serge Papin and former equality minister Aurore Bergé. The suspect remains in custody pending further legal proceedings by the Marseille Gendarmerie.
Keep reading