French Police Investigate Antisemitic Incident at Alpine Ski Resort

A video circulating widely on social media shows a French Jewish man being verbally attacked by an antisemitic woman at the Les Deux Alpes ski station in the Isère department. The woman, who operated a stall at the resort, told the man, "You Jews are too many, it annoys people," and prevented his family from sitting down after he tried to buy a drink. The man, a Haredi Jew, recounted the incident in a French media interview, describing the woman's hostile remarks.

Following the viral spread of the footage, the public prosecutor in Grenoble launched a criminal investigation, assigning it to the Gendarmerie. The woman was identified, brought in for questioning, and admitted to making the antisemitic statements, providing her version of the context during the investigation.

The incident sparked strong condemnation from French government officials. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez denounced the remarks, stating such behavior "has no place in our Republic," while Minister Aurore Bergé called for an immediate official report to the public prosecutor.

Demographic data contradict the woman's claim about the Jewish community's size: approximately 438,500 Jews live in France, representing less than 0.7% of the population. Globally, the Jewish population is about 15.8 million, or 0.2% of the world's population, still below pre-Holocaust numbers recorded in 1939.

The investigation continues as authorities address the broader issue of antisemitism in France.