Confronted by an apparently intoxicated man, the septuagenarian was taken to the hospital this Thursday to assess any potential incapacity.
An man confronted due to his confession
The retiree is struggling to cope. As he was feeding cats on Wednesday evening near Alès (Gard), a 45-year-old man approached him around 7 PM. After asking for change and receiving a refusal, the man retorted: “Oh, you’re Jewish!”. Indeed, the retiree was wearing a kippa and traditional Jewish clothing. Following this comment, the situation quickly escalated.
The attacker delivered a violent punch to the back, and while the victim was on the ground, he kicked him multiple times, calling him a “dirty Jew”. This extraordinarily violent account was reported by the victim to the prosecutor of Alès, Abdelkrim Grini.
Although the assailant did not hesitate to target a stranger, he was nonetheless fearful of being caught. He fled the scene, leaving the victim dazed on the ground.
A completely unprovoked, ignoble, and cowardly attack
Overwhelmed by shame, the 70-year-old man removed and concealed his kippa. This gesture was noticed by a passerby who urged him to put it back on. Encouraged possibly by his friends and authorities, he was taken to the hospital late Thursday night to assess potential incapacity (ITT).
According to information provided by Abdelkrim Grini, the suspect is of French nationality. Currently unemployed, he is not unknown to the justice system, with previous charges of theft against him.
On Thursday, he was arrested by gendarmes and placed in custody for violence and insults based on the victim’s alleged ethnicity, nationality, race, or religion. In remarks reported by Franceinfo, the prosecutor of the Republic of Alès described the assault as “completely unprovoked, ignoble, and cowardly”.
“Oh, you’re Jewish!” a 70-year-old man violently assaulted in an anti-Semitic attack in Gard.
➡️ https://t.co/l0Ngcs7tKD pic.twitter.com/wocaAw0nf4
— Le Parisien (@le_Parisien) May 1, 2025
