French President Francois Hollande rejected calls for French Jews to stop wearing a kippah to avoid attacks and promised no tolerance for those who intimidate them.
His comments came after a Jewish community leader recommended that men stop wearing kippahs and other religious symbols following an attack on a Jewish man in Marseille. A Jewish teacher had been stabbed by a teenager who said he belonged to Islamic State. Jews were also targeted during last January’s attacks associated with the Charlie Hebdo newspaper.
“It is unacceptable for citizens in our country to feel they are targets of attacks because of their religion and to be forced into hiding,” Hollande said.
But Marseille Jewish community leader Zvi Ammar said the “exceptional measure” had become necessary. Speaking to La Provence, he urged Jews “not to wear a kippah in the street, so their religion cannot be identified.” He added: “It is sad to find ourselves in this situation in 2016 in a great democracy such as France.”
The teacher, 35-year-old Benjamin Amsellem, suffered stab wounds to his shoulder and hand. Authorities said they had charged the teenager, a Kurd from Turkey, with attempted murder and association with a terrorist organization. They said he had expressed shame at failing to kill Amsellem.
This was the third attack on a Jewish person in Marseille in recent months. The city has Europe’s largest Jewish community after Paris and London.