French Holocaust memorial defaced with 'Free Gaza'

PARIS (Reuters) -A Holocaust memorial in the French city of Lyon has been defaced, local officials said, condemning the act at a time of growing concern about antisemitic incidents in France.

The words "Free Gaza" were etched into a black marble stele, according to a photo shared on social media by Yonathan Arfi, president of the CRIF, a body representing Jewish institutions in France.

Arfi described the incident late on Saturday as "despicable", while the mayor of Lyon, Gregory Doucet, and the prefect of the Rhone region, Fabienne Buccio, also spoke out.

In a post on X, Buccio said nothing justified the "shameful act", and expressed her support to the Jewish community. Doucet called the incident an "intolerable act", adding that the perpetrators would be sought and prosecuted.

Hate crimes are rising across France, including high-profile antisemitic incidents. Earlier this year, five Jewish institutions were sprayed with green paint in Paris.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recently accused French President Emmanuel Macron of contributing to antisemitism by calling for international recognition of a Palestinian state, according to the Jerusalem Post.

Macron has publicly criticised antisemitism and increased security to protect synagogues and other Jewish centres in response to antisemitic incidents linked to the Gaza conflict.

(Reporting by Dominique Patton;Editing by Helen Popper)