Israeli airline's Paris offices daubed with red paint, slogans
Red paint and slogans were daubed at the entry to the offices of national Israeli airline El Al in Paris, with Israel Thursday urging French authorities to take action over the "barbaric act".
Anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian slogans and inscriptions, including "Free Palestine" and "El Al Genocide Airline", were written on the entrance which was also daubed with red paint as well as the pavement overnight Wednesday to Thursday.
"I condemn the barbaric and violent act against El Al and expect the law enforcement authorities in France to locate the criminals and take strong action against them," Israel's Transport Minister Miri Regev wrote on X.
She said the act was the result of announcements by President Emmanuel Macron that "make gifts to" Palestinian militant group Hamas, in apparent reference to his announcement last month that France plans to recognise a Palestinian state.
Israel's ambassador to France Joshua Zarka visited the scene, describing the vandalism as an "act of terrorism" that aims to "terrorise El Al employees, terrorise Israeli citizens, scare them and try to make them feel that they are not welcome."
According to El Al, quoted by Israeli TV channel N12, "the incident occurred while the building was empty and there was no danger to the company's employees."
"El Al proudly displays the Israeli flag on the tail of its aircraft and condemns all forms of violence, particularly those based on anti-Semitism," the national airline added.
In early June, several Jewish sites in Paris were sprayed with green paint. Three Serbs were charged and placed under arrest and are suspected by investigators of acting to serve the interests of a foreign power, possibly Russia.
The October 2023 by Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the war between Israel and Hamas resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, the majority of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Out of 251 hostages seized during Hamas's attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
The Israeli offensive has killed at least 61,158 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Gaza health ministry which are considered reliable by the United Nations.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Insider
6 hours ago
- Gulf Insider
Israel To Take Control Of All Of Gaza
There have been reports all week which have said that Israel is now intent on conquering and occupying the whole of the Gaza Strip, and when asked about it Tuesday Presdient Trump responded, 'It is going to be pretty much up to Israel.' In a fresh Thursday report, Axios writes that Trump 'does not oppose Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to launch a new military operation to occupy the entire Gaza Strip, U.S. and Israeli officials say.' There's been some nuance in Netanyahu's position, however, as he's sought to distance himself from claims that he's planning a permanent occupation by Israeli forces. 'We intend to,' Netanyahu affirmed to Fox News when asked if he aims to take over the whole the strip. But then he said it would eventually be given over to a responsibly governing entitiy. 'We don't want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter. We don't want to govern it. We don't want to be there as a governing body,' he said. Also, Netanyahu's office has told Axios , 'We are not willing to remain in the current limbo and we are not willing to surrender to Hamas' demands — so essentially only one option is left, to take a drastic step. This is the last card we have left.' Critics and skeptics have said Israel has long been deceptive at many points about its war aims. The whole counter-Hamas operation was launched with limited goals initially articulated, centered on taking out Hamas leadership and gaining the liberation of all captives – but the scope of operations have clearly shifted and been extended. Military leadership has taken a more cautious approach, warning that efforts to permanently control Gaza would be falling into a 'trap' – as we reported earlier. Kan News public broadcaster previously stated 'The prime minister's direction is to go and conquer the Gaza Strip.' The Israeli military's (IDF) chief of staff, Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, has argued in a closed-door cabinet meeting that this 'will significantly endanger their lives and cause the army to burn out.' Aerial view showing utter destruction of the Gaza Strip… The past year has seen Netanyahu clarify to political allies and opponets alike that he's opting for a military solution. Criticis have said he's putting the remaining hostages in danger. As for what group might one day take over, it is entirely doubtul that any Palestinian body – such as the Palestinian Authority – will actually be allowed to step in and govern by Israel. This is indeed a recipe for permanent occupation and annexation. Also read: Trump Tells Mideast Nations To Join Abraham Accords Now That Iran's 'Nuclear Arsenal Totally Obliterated'
Gulf Insider
6 hours ago
- Gulf Insider
EU Proposal To Scan All Private Messages Gains Momentum
A controversial European Union proposal dubbed 'Chat Control' is regaining momentum, with 19 out of 27 EU member states reportedly backing the measure. The plan would mandate that messaging platforms, including WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram, must scan every message, photo and video sent by users starting in October, even if end-to-end encryption is in place, popular French tech blogger Korben wrote on Monday. Denmark reintroduced the proposal on July 1, the first day of its EU Council presidency. France, once opposed, is now in favor, Korben said, citing Patrick Breyer, a former member of the European Parliament for Germany and the European Pirate Party. Belgium, Hungary, Sweden, Italy and Spain are also in favor, while Germany remains undecided. However, if Berlin joins the majority, a qualified council vote could push the plan through by mid-October, Korben said. A qualified majority in the EU Council is achieved when two conditions are met. First, at least 55 percent of member states, meaning 15 out of 27, must vote in favor. Second, those countries must represent at least 65% of the EU's total population. Instead of weakening encryption, the plan seeks to implement client-side scanning, meaning software embedded in users' devices that inspects content before it is encrypted. 'A bit like if the Post Office came to read all your letters in your living room before you put them in the envelope,' Korben said. He added that the real target isn't criminals, who use encrypted or decentralized channels, but ordinary users whose private conversations would now be open to algorithmic scrutiny. The proposal cites the prevention of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) as its justification. However, it would result in 'mass surveillance by means of fully automated real-time surveillance of messaging and chats and the end of privacy of digital correspondence,' Breyer wrote. Beyond scanning, the package includes mandatory age verification, effectively removing anonymity from messaging platforms. Digital freedom groups are asking citizens to contact their MEPs, sign petitions and push back before the law becomes irreversible. An infographic explaining the proposed EU Chat Control bill. Source: Patrick Breyer Last month, Telegram founder Pavel Durov warned that France risks societal collapse if it continues down a path of political censorship and regulatory overreach. Durov was arrested in France in August 2024 after being accused of failing to moderate his app to reduce criminality. He also alleged that French intelligence officials approached him earlier this year with requests to censor pro-conservative content ahead of the May 2025 Romanian election, a request he says he refused. Also read: Most Americans Reject Fall COVID Shot, Don't Trust CDC Or FDA On Vaccine Safety
Gulf Insider
19 hours ago
- Gulf Insider
UAE Denies 'False' Sudan Claim Of Destroying Emirati Plane Carrying Mercenaries
The United Arab Emirates rejected on Thursday an announcement from Sudan's armed forces a day earlier saying they had destroyed an Emirati plane carrying Colombian mercenaries, killing at least 40. 'These unfounded allegations… are entirely false, lack any evidentiary basis, and represent a continuation of (Sudan's) ongoing campaign of disinformation and deflection,' a UAE official said to AFP regarding the incident, reported to have taken place in war-torn Sudan's Darfur region. 2 hours ago 12 hours ago 12 hours ago
