Paris, France. Two young men have been placed under formal investigation in France for planning a “deadly and antisemitic” attack, the counterterrorism prosecutor’s office (PNAT) said on Sunday.
Arrest and investigation
PNAT said the suspects, a 22-year-old engineering student and an unemployed 20-year-old who are brothers, were arrested last Tuesday after police found a semi-automatic firearm, a bottle of acid and an ISIS flag in their car during a roadside stop near a prison in northern France. PNAT gave no details about the nature of the planned attack or its target.
The two are being investigated on charges of criminal terrorist conspiracy and possessing a weapon in connection with a terrorist undertaking, and have been placed in pre-trial detention. PNAT did not release their full identities.
Findings and security measures
French authorities said jihadist propaganda was found on the suspects’ digital devices and that one of the brothers had filmed a video pledging allegiance to ISIS.
The French interior ministry reinforced security around Jewish places of worship in early March.
Broader security concerns and reported incidents
Concerns about possible attacks against Jewish communities around the world have risen following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and a subsequent response from Tehran.
A gunman crashed his truck into a Detroit-area synagogue on Thursday. In Europe, an explosion caused minor damage to a Jewish school in Amsterdam on Saturday, and another explosion caused a fire at a synagogue in Belgium on Monday.
Trends in bias and antisemitic acts
Governments and human rights advocates have noted a rise in antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias around the world since the 2023 Hamas attack and Israel’s war on Gaza.
France’s human rights commission, the CNCDH, has said antisemitic acts in France tend to increase after Israeli army operations in Palestinian territories. Antisemitic acts surged to a record high after the 2023 Hamas attack, but fell 16% in 2025 compared with the year before.
What impact could the investigation and security measures have on safety around Jewish places of worship in France?
