'Israeli' man jailed for smearing feces on French synagogue

A 45-year-old 'Israeli' man has been sentenced to six months in prison, followed by deportation and a ten-year ban from entering France, after desecrating a synagogue in Antibes, Alpes-Maritimes, using garbage and his own excrement, Nice-Matin reported.

The Grasse judicial court convicted the man on Oct. 15, 2025, of “public apology for a crime or offense” and “damage or deterioration of property belonging to another.” The incident took place on August 1, 2025, when he vandalized the entrance of the synagogue by scattering trash and drawing swastikas and Stars of David with excrement.

The man reportedly told investigators that he acted out of “conflict with the rabbi.” However, prosecutors called the act "deeply anti-Semitic", noting that he had previously threatened a saleswoman at a kosher grocery store.

Psychiatric evaluations presented in court claimed that the defendant suffered from a personality disorder and had previously been admitted to a psychiatric unit. Despite his condition, experts said he remained “fully aware of his actions.”

In addition to his prison sentence and expulsion, the court ordered him to compensate the victims for the damages caused.