French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has vowed a tough response after a leisure park manager refused entry to a group of young Israelis, linking the case to a broader surge in antisemitic incidents and strains with Israel.
On Friday, the hardline Retailleau condemned as “serious” the refusal of a leisure park in the Pyrénées-Orientales to admit a group of 150 young Israeli holidaymakers, calling it incompatible with the values of the Republic.
“This is not our vision of the Republic, nor of human dignity,” he told BFMTV, noting that an investigation was under way and that the park’s manager remained in custody.
According to prosecutors in Perpignan, the manager had barred the youngsters on the basis of his “personal convictions” and was detained on suspicion of “religious discrimination in the provision of goods or services.”
“I hope the courts will be very firm. Nothing can be allowed to slip by,” Retailleau added, stressing that “antisemitic acts are exploding.”
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Spike in antisemitic acts
Official figures show that between January and May 2025, 504 antisemitic incidents were recorded in France, including 323 attacks against individuals.
While that represents a 24 percent fall compared with last year, the number has more than doubled compared with the same period in 2023.
The incident comes amid rising tensions between France and Israel.
Only two days earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused President Emmanuel Macron of “fuelling antisemitic flames” in France with his decision to move ahead with recognition of a Palestinian state.
Netanyahu denounced the move as “anti-Jewish,” further straining ties between the two leaders.
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Jewish communities 'vulnerable'
The warning comes at a time when Jewish communities in France say they feel increasingly vulnerable.
Over the summer, watchdog groups and police noted a worrying spike in antisemitic assaults in several cities, from desecration of synagogues to verbal and physical attacks in public spaces.
Community leaders have urged the government to back up its strong rhetoric with tougher enforcement and stronger support for Jewish institutions.
Despite the worrying statistics, the Interior Ministry has pointed out that stepped-up policing, better monitoring, and faster reporting mechanisms are helping to expose incidents that might once have gone unrecorded.
Retailleau has insisted that France would “never tolerate hatred” and reaffirmed that “our Republic stands by its Jewish citizens.”
