In a shocking incident, two cars exploded outside a synagogue in the town of La Grande-Motte, southern France, early on Saturday morning. The explosion resulted in one police officer being injured, leading authorities to open a terrorism investigation. This incident comes amid alarming reports of rising antisemitism in the country.

According to a statement from the National Anti-terrorism Prosecutor's Office, the vehicles were set alight around 8 a.m. The attack is being treated as an attempted murder and a terrorist act. President Emmanuel Macron condemned the incident, emphasizing that the fight against antisemitism is an ongoing battle. He assured the public that every effort will be made to apprehend the perpetrator.

The statement from the prosecutor's office revealed that two additional fires were started at the doors of the synagogue. Fortunately, there were four individuals and a rabbi present at the time of the attack, all of whom escaped unharmed. However, a police officer sustained injuries when a propane gas tank inside one of the cars detonated.

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, accompanied by Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, visited the scene on Saturday. Attal expressed outrage and repulsion at the attack, acknowledging that it was a targeted assault on French Jews due to their beliefs. He emphasized that the synagogue narrowly avoided a tragedy and highlighted the joint efforts of around 200 police officers and security personnel to locate the perpetrator.

Security cameras captured images of an individual setting fire to the cars, according to La Grande-Motte Mayor Stephan Rossignol. The suspect is described as "extremely determined" and poses a severe threat, intending harm to innocent worshippers.

Yonathan Arfi, president of the Council of Jewish Institutions in France, condemned the attack as an attempt to kill Jews. Arfi welcomed the government's commitment to protecting Jewish holy sites, emphasizing the importance of guaranteeing a peaceful existence for the Jewish community.

Antisemitism has witnessed an alarming surge in France, home to the third-largest Jewish community worldwide, after Israel and the United States. Recent protests have highlighted public concern, with 100,000 people marching through Paris in November to denounce antisemitism following the attack by Hamas and Israel's war in Gaza.

According to the Interior Ministry, there were 1,676 recorded antisemitic attacks in 2023, a significant increase from the 436 incidents reported in 2022. French Jews have expressed growing apprehension for their safety, citing incidents such as the arson attack on a synagogue in Rouen in May and the reported rape of a 12-year-old Jewish girl in Paris, both of which were linked to rising antisemitism.

This latest attack has once again exposed the urgent need for action against antisemitism in France. The authorities are committed to bringing the perpetrator to justice and ensuring the safety and security of the Jewish community, so they can live peacefully like any other French citizen.