War in the Middle East. The evolution of the conflict between Israel and Hamas up to the minute

Porto’s synagogue, the largest on the Iberian Peninsula, was vandalized last week with slogans against Israeli policy., hours after a pro-Israel demonstration took place in the city. On the gate and walls of the Mekor Haim Kadoorie Synagogue one can read: “Free Palestine” This is End Israel’s apartheid.

The Porto Israeli community condemned the act of vandalism and called it an expression of hatred.

“What caused the Porto Synagogue to be graffitied”Free Palestine” (“Liberated Palestine” in English)? What is the connection between the Porto Synagogue and Judaism”Free Palestine“?Isaac Azor, an Israeli tour operator in Portugal, told RTP.

Israeli Esther Bautara, owner of a restaurant in Porto, also told RTP “It is sad that we have been the target of sabotage since the beginning, since the beginning of this war.”

“These are very difficult days, full of fear and deep uncertainty. It is a heartbreaking situation and we are in constant contact with our families in Israel.”said Estrella Bengio, head of Madrid’s Jewish community Euronews. Spanish authorities are strengthening security measures at Jewish synagogues, schools and kindergartens to protect the community in Spain.

France is one of the main European countries affected by the conflict between Israel and Hamas, as it has the largest Jewish community in Europe, but also the largest Muslim community.

According to French Interior Minister Gérard Dorman, since Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel on October 7, France recorded around 102 arrests for anti-Semitic acts or support for terrorism. The information was revealed on Monday. The conflict in the Middle East had direct consequences on French territory, which went on emergency alert last Friday.

In recent days, a terrorist attack on a high school in northern France killed a teacher and wounded two others. The French capital’s Louvre Museum and the Palace of Versailles were both evacuated and closed due to bomb threats this weekend.

Security in France has been strengthened since the conflict began last week. According to the French Ministry of the Interior, About ten thousand police officers are currently monitoring more than 500 places considered “sensitive” such as synagogues and schools. French Interior Minister Gérald Dormanin told a television program last week that “in front of the synagogues, there are a lot of people making threats.”

Although French President Emmanuel Macron and the government condemned the Hamas attack, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of France’s hard-left, has compared the Islamist group’s attack to an Israeli occupation. The French politician defended the “resistance” of the Palestinian people without ever condemning the Hamas attack, and is currently being investigated for condoning terrorism.

In this sense, on Thursday, the French police banned the use of tear gas to disperse the protesters because the pro-Palestinian demonstrations could “cause public disorder”. This, after allowing a pro-Israel demonstration in Paris on Monday.

In other European cities – London or Berlin – with a strong presence of the Jewish community, the authorities have strengthened the security of schools and Jewish temples. According to the British press, the Jewish community has reported an increase in anti-Semitic incidents in London, where some schools suspended classes this week amid fears of rising tensions. In the United Kingdom, “105 anti-Semitic incidents and 75 crimes were recorded” between September 30 and October 13, according to the data. BBC.

The slogan has been taken up by Islamists, including Hamas, and has become a staple of anti-Semitic discourse. To hear this shouted in public is alarming not only to Jews, but to all decent people. Those promoting hate on Britain’s streets need to realize that our tolerance has limits. 3/3

— Suella Braverman MP (@SuellaBraverman) October 16, 2023