They desecrated 80 graves in a Jewish cemetery in France

Eighty graves have been desecrated in a Jewish cemetery in the city of Quatzeneheim, in the east of France. This discovery is part of a wave of anti-Semitic acts in the country, which had already experienced exponential growth in 2018.

Through an official statement, prefecture of the department of bas-rhin "This Tuesday, February 19, about 80 graves of an Israeli cemetery in Quatzenheim were discovered profaned". The force condemned "with the utmost firmness" the anti-Semitic act and expressed its total support to the Jewish community.

Photographs taken by local media Nazi blue and yellow swastikas painted on the gravestones. In addition, the phrase "Esbadisches Schwarzen Wolfe" ("The Alsatian Black Wolves") was found written in a grave, eventually referring to an Alsatian autonomist group active in the 1970s.

The discovery took place the same day that demonstrations are planned throughout France to denounce the upsurge of anti-Semitic acts in the country. As part of the latter, the writer and philosopher Alain Finkielkraut was described as "Zionist of Tuesday …" during an anti-government demonstration of "yellow vests" this weekend.

A few days ago, a swastika was also painted in Paris on the portrait of former ex-minister Simone Veil, who died at the Nazi extermination camp in World War II.

According to official figures released by the French Ministry of the Interior last week, the number of anti-Semitic acts in the country has exploded. 74% in 2018. In total, there were 541 such events last year, while in 2017, 311 had been detected.